Yahoo News 'A boards costing businesses customers'
HOW much business is your A Board losing shops?
If you have a pavement A board blocking the way for anyone, especially people with buggies, wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking two abreast (which you need to do holding a child's hand or supporting an elderly person), that's all customers you're losing by either making it physically impossible for them to get to you or simply annoying their friends, family and anyone else who cares.
More than that you are losing customers for neighbouring businesses.
BCP Council's website doesn't list a price for A Board licenses which they are entitled to charge for so there doesn't seem to be any enforcement checking on this.
Worse than that they are not following government guidance on keeping pavements clear of obstructions in manual for the Streets so that businesses are even telling me that "the council" has given them permission to block pavements with tables and chairs.
The bin people are also failing to put bins back at the property they are collected from and telling people it is not their job to do this.
They are the last ones to touch the bin and the bin is the property of BCP Council so they are the ones obstructing the pavements.
It is ridiculous to expect residents and businesses out all day at work or busy with customers to stay in all day so they can immediately put their bins back.
I am not disabled, haven't quite made it to elderly and I don't currently push a baby buggy so I'm not entitled to approach the Equality Advisory Support Service on 0808 800 0082 for help but I would encourage anyone elderly, disabled or pushing a buggy to get right onto them so we can get BCP's pavements clear enough to pass by safely for everyone, all day and every day not just the nimble.
There's a general election looming so this is the best time to get onto your councillors MPs and local press to motivate change.
Susan Stockwell
Britannia Road,
