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Business pays first £500 fixed penalty for fly-posting

A business has paid Wiltshire's first fixed penalty notice (FPN) for fly-posting at the increased rate of £500 after being caught illegally advertising in the county.

Published 30 January 2025
Business pays first £500 fixed penalty for fly-posting

A business has paid Wiltshire's first fixed penalty notice (FPN) for fly-posting at the increased rate of £500 after being caught illegally advertising in the county. 

Officers from the council's Environmental Enforcement Team issued the FPN after four advertisements were discovered on lampposts around the West Wilts Trading Estate in Westbury during a routine site visit. Adverts erected on the public highway or attached to street furniture, such as lampposts or road traffic signs, require permission from Wiltshire Council. 

Fly-posting is defined as advertising material for events or businesses being displayed on buildings or street furniture without the consent of the owner or occupier of the land or premises. It is an offence under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Highways Act 1980. Other types of unauthorised advertisements, such as hoardings or A boards, fall outside of the remit of fly-posting. 

The penalty fine was increased in September 2024 to deter offenders following feedback from local communities, which had reported more incidents of fly-posting.  

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways and Street Scene, said: We take fly-posting seriously. It is unsightly and it spoils the beautiful landscapes and scenery that we have in Wiltshire. This is why we've increased our enforcement action and the fixed penalty notice amount.

Our officers take a commonsense 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.

We also know that there are some community groups and town and parish councils who are keen to showcase their events, such as fetes or fayres, by advertising on council land. We are happy to work with them prior to the event to obtain the required approvals, but we would ask for at least four weeks' notice. 

Applicants will need to state the reason for the signage, its location, how long it will be in place for, and the types of signage to be used, so the application can be considered. 

As FPNs are not a conviction in court, the business involved cannot be named. 

To find out more about the council's approach to fly-posting or how to seek approval to advertise a community event, people can visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/litter.  

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