Talking should be first priority (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Talking should be first priority

4:50pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in Opinion By Gazette comment

South Lakeland District Council has made the right decision to lift the immediate threat of legal action against any Kendal traders failing to comply with its A-board regulations.

The council’s crackdown on shops which display such advertising boards on public spaces and pavements has caused huge anger among local businesspeople.

They argue that the boards are crucial to direct customers to their shops, many of which are located off the main street down alleyways and yards - and to attract the attention of casual shoppers.

Duirng such difficult economic times many traders could not understand why the district council seemed to suddenly take a very tough stance on A-boards.

Of course, there must be some rules and regulations over what people can place on a public pavement and disabled people were right to raise the issue if they felt a proliferation of A-boards was causing obstacles and hazards.

But it was the way council tackled the issue - by issuing letters demanding immediate compliance with the rules and threatening legal action and possible fines if any traders breaking the rules did not act swiftly - which upset so many. It was a heavy-handed approach which raised hackles unnessesarily.

Following the initial backlash, the council put a halt to sending out further letters and held meetings with shopkeepers to talk through the issues. And now it is going out of its way to continue the dialogue with local businesspeople to try to devise a protocol which both sides can agree to and follow in the future.

This hopefully will mean traders can still display A-boards but more thought is perhaps given to exactly where they are sited.

Yesterday the district council agreed new guidelines for dealing with ‘streetcare’ issues like this. It suggests that enforcement should be a last resort and that talking through issues should always be pursued first.

That is clearly what should have happened over the A-boards issue.

However, hopefully lessons have now been learned and that better communication will lead to a satisfactory resolution for both sides - and such anger is avoided in the future.