The Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report asking the Committee to delegate authority to the Head of Transportation and Streetcare to enter into licence agreements to permit advertising development on the public highway, subject to the obtaining of statutory planning consent.

The report explained that the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan included a saving which aimed to deliver £500k of additional annual income by the end of financial year 2019/20, and that the Council was currently engaged in two procurement exercises to secure developer interest.  Development would be focused on Council-owned and managed land extensively within or adjacent to the public Highway, and would be subject to value for money consideration and the developer obtaining the required statutory consents.  All advertising development within the Council’s estate would be need to comply with the Council’s advertising and sponsorship policy.

The report noted that in order to develop within the Highway estate a licence must be granted by the local authority under section 115E of the Highways Act 1980. Currently there was no delegation to officers to grant such a licence and consent would therefore have to be obtained from Committee for every development proposal received.  This was considered to be protracted and counterproductive to the delivery of required savings and the report therefore proposed that, subject to statutory consent having first been obtained, the Head of Transportation and Streetcare be delegated authority to grant licence agreements under section 115E of the Highways Act 1980.

Resolved –

That the Head of Transportation and Streetcare, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment Planning and Transport, be granted delegated authority to enter into licence agreements to permit advertising development on the public highway, subject to obtaining statutory planning consent.