Digital advertising board for Watford ring road refused

Watford Borough Council said upgrading the board on Exchange Road would have a "harmful impact" on the surrounding area.

The advertising board, which has up to 48 sheets, was installed after being granted planning permission via appeal in 2015.

But plans were submitted this year to the council to upgrade it into an internally illuminated digital post which outdoor advertising and media company Space Outdoor says would bring a number of benefits.

This includes the ability to be able to change adverts more frequently, provide more opportunities for real-time and locally relevant advertising, and broadcast emergency messaging such as about public health.

The adverts were proposed to be static i.e. not moving or flashing, and Space Outdoor suggested in its application a digital board would provide environmental benefits because it would save printing and vehicle trips to change the advert on display.

Space Outdoor said the poster's commercial setting, by the entrance to Wellstones, made it "appropriate" for an illuminated advertising board. It added the illumination level would have been reduced during the night.

The advertising board currently. Credit: Google Maps

However, a council planning officer disagreed saying the area had become - and was becoming - more residential.

She said the proposed digital board, which would be a similar size to the existing board, would be "visually dominant" and therefore have a "significant harmful impact" on the character and appearance of the site and wider area.

A report published this week revealed the application to upgrade to a digital board had been officially turned down.

No objections had been raised to the application, including by Hertfordshire County Council, which did not have any concerns that the digital board would be distracting to drivers on the ring road.