Banstead banner ban barney

8:29am Thursday 28th August 2008

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A row has erupted over a banner ban at Banstead Library as events organisers have been ordered not to put banners or posters on the fencing outside the library in The Horseshoe.

Even the banner advertising the recent Nork music festival, which was partly sponsored by Surrey County Council (SCC), was barred from the SCC owned fence.

George Hinton, chairman of Nork residents’ association, said: “People feel a sense of ownership for those railings.

“They have put up banners to advertise everything from school fetes and jumble sales, to charity fundraisers for as long as I have been around and I have lived here 30 years.

“We think the county councillor has taken it upon herself to make the decision without asking what everyone thinks.

“They say there are complaints - let us see them. I have never heard of any.

“If people aren’t allowed to use the railings they will simply knock stakes in the grass in front of the railings and put the banners on them.”

But county councillor Angela Fraser said: “There have been a number of complaints about it looking very untidy. They (the banners) were there for ages longer than necessary, flapping around. It wasn’t even just being used for local events.

“A number of people said the banners were very distracting for motorists. I know it has caused a rumpus but in the interests of tidiness, safety and the look of the area, the new policy has been introduced.”

District councillor Brian Stead wants to negotiate a compromise with local groups being allowed to advertise.

Councillor Stead said “ All sorts of people have always had their banners and notices there about their events and it has never seemed to cause any problems.”