Business fined £500 for illegal fly-posting

Wiltshire Council increased the fine for fly-posting to £500 in September 2024

A business has been fined £500 for illegal fly-posting.

Wiltshire Council issued the fixed penalty notice (FPN) after four advertisements were found on lamp-posts around the West Wilts Trading Estate in Westbury.

It is the first time a business has been fined £500 for the offence in the county after the council increased the cost of fines in September in a bid to deter illegal advertising.

The company had been warned after previous incidents of fly-posting, but it ignored them and continued to display illegal advertisements, the council said.

Fly-posting is an offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Highways Act 1980.

Companies must obtain permission from the local authority if they want to advertise along public highways or on lamp-posts or traffic signs.

'Unsightly'

Councillor Nick Holder said the council took fly-posting seriously.

"It is unsightly and it spoils the beautiful landscapes and scenery that we have in Wiltshire," he said.

"Our officers take a common sense approach when dealing with people or companies who have put up their advertising in this way, and in most cases we will just ask them to remove the advert.

"However, as this particular company had previously been warned about their adverts and had continued with their illegal approach, officers had no choice but to remove the signs and issue them with the £500 FPN."

He added that anyone keen to advertise events like fetes or fayres should obtain the relevant permissions and give the council at least four weeks' notice.