Traders face £100 cost to put up pavement signs after council claims they are a hazard

Councillors sitting on an East Riding Council scrutiny committee backed introducing a licensing scheme from next April – despite businesses not being widely consulted.

The committee heard that there are around 500 A-boards in use and they are "technically illegal".

Service manager Matt Gent showed examples including a large four-sided sign on casters in Bridlington which he said was a "very clear risk". Another image showed a series of signs obscuring bollards close to a road junction in Howden which was a “potential distraction”.

He said the Royal National Institute of Blind People had “zero tolerance” of A-boards, adding: "They can be a trip hazard, people can collide with them, some have moving or swinging parts that can catch passersby."

There was also a question of liability. He said: “We are at risk at the moment with the way it is set up because we don’t have a scheme like that which sets out in policy how we deal with these sorts of signs. If there was an issue there would be some questions we would have to answer.”

A report to councillors said the scheme would pay for itself and “generate income which can be used to improve this scheme and other enforcement duties moving forward”.

One councillor on the committee, Phil Redshaw, went round to every shop with an A-board in Cottingham and told members traders would be “much more comfortable” paying £50 for the first two years. However the committee recommended a £25 application fee, with £75 for the licence. York charges £110 a year while Kirklees charges £112 for a five-year licence.

Online consultation was carried out in 2022 gaining 114 responses - including a "handful" of businesses and seven respondents with disabilities. Some 65 per cent backed the move.

Julian Minshall, chairman of Beverley & District Chamber of Trade was unaware of the change. He said: "We'd be interested in having a conversation with East Riding Council before this goes through."