We object to the following advertising consent and associated planning applications as well as any advertising consent applications from Clear Channel for double-sided digital billboards on Hackney's pavements submitted in 2023, which will be added to this objection:

2023/1974 - 178 Clapton Common, E5 9AQ
2023/1975​ - Carmel, 143 - 145 Clapton Common, E5 9AE
2023/1988​ - Brooke House Sixth Form College, Kenninghall Road, E5 8BP
2023/1990​ - 95a Upper Clapton Road, E5 9BU
2023/2002​ - Morning Lane, E9 6LG
2023/1993​ - Tesco, 39 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 8DR​​
2023/2003​ - Lift 3423, Winslade House Upper Clapton Road, E5 9LA
2023/1994​ - Lion Coffee And Records, 118 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0QR
2023/2008​ - Outside 51 To 61 Mare Street, E8 4RP
2023/2011​ - 182a, 182 Stoke Newington Road, N16 7UY
2023/2145​ - The Fox, 370 Kingsland Road, E8 4DA
2023/2146​ - 124-150 Hackney Road, E2 7QS​​​​
2023/1970 - 2A Woodberry Down, Seven Sisters Road N4 2NJ
2023/1964 - 270 Green Lanes N4 2NJ
2023/1997 - 145A Stoke Newington Road N16 8BP
2023/2155 - 42 Stoke Newington Rd N16 7XJ
2023/2154 - 432, Kingsland Road N1 4LN
2023/2274 - 257A, Mare Street E8 3NU
2023/2273 - 110, Mare Street E8 3SJ
2023/2151 - 331 Mare Street E8 1HA
2023/2153 - 21, Mare Street E8 4RP
2023/2273 - 110, Mare Street E8 3SJ
2023/2152 - 38 Dalston Lane E8 1HP
2023/2151 - 331 Mare Street E8 1HA
2023/2399 - 231 Kingsland Road N1 5LJ
2023/2398 - 250-256 Congress House, Kingsland Rd E8 4EF
2023/2400 - 39 Stoke Newington High St N16 8ES
2023/1988 - Bsix College, Upper Clapton Rd Opposite Prout Rd E5 8BQ
2023/2401 - 67A Stoke Newington Road N16 8AF

To be added if applications are made:
119 Hackney Road E2 7SH
327 Kingsland Road E8 4EJ
141 Stamford Hill N16 7HU
55 Stamford Hill N16 6XS
Dalston Lane, Junction Of Martel Place E8 1FG
Dalston Local Store, 42 Dalston Lane E8 2PE
Hackney Cvs, The Adiaha Antigha Centre, 24-30, Dalston Lane E8 3AZ
205 Lower Clapton Road E5 8EG
230 Stoke Newington High St N16 7HF
Homerton Library, Homerton High Street E9 6DG
61 Mare Street E9 7NY
37, 47 Stoke Newington Rd N16 8BJ
67A Stoke Newington Road N16 8AH

We object on the grounds that the local amenity will be greatly diminished by the imposition of these advertising structures will little or no public benefit in return.

The proposed structures are large, causing additional clutter to the pavement space, they risk becoming magnets for vandalism, trash and messiness. They are like alien monoliths from the film 2001 a Space Odessy which is not in keeping with the character of Hackney Roads

In the cases where these are completely new constructions where there have been no billboards before, they will cause a huge amount of unnecessary street clutter and diminish the beauty and visibility which is a key part of the amenity of these areas as well as causing new obstructions to the free flow of foot traffic that will make it less enjoyable and accessible a public space for pedestrians, wheelers and the visually impaired.

These adverts will use energy all year round wasting precious resources, causing visual pollution from the content of the advertisements, light pollution from the screens and noise pollution from the fans needed to cool the units which will try and sell us things we don't need. They also pose a safety hazard as big illuminated screens with changing images would pose a danger to car drivers and others on and around the road causing distraction and reducing lines of sight which could be exploited by people who could use them to hide behind and then jump out at people.

All the units will contribute to the climate crisis through the resources needed to build and maintain the units. The council's advertising and sponsorship policy does not cover harm caused by high carbon products to our environment, and goes against the council's climate objectives.

These advertisements are very similar to several that have recently been refused planning permission by the council and the same criteria must be in place, therefore these must also have permission refused.

The proposed advertisements, by reason of their scale, siting, appearance and method of illumination would result in obtrusive and visually incongruous features that would contribute to an unsightly proliferation of signage and street furniture in the local areas that would detract from their visual amenity of the street scene. As such these proposals would be contrary to policies D4 (Delivering Good Design), D8 (Public Realm) and HC1 (Heritage conservation and growth) of the London Plan (2021) and policies PP1 (Public Realm), LP3 (Designated Heritage Assets) and LP7 (Advertisements) of Hackney's Local Development Plan (2020).

The proposed advertisements by reason of their scale appearance, location and potential uses would result in an obstructive and intrusive form of development that would increase potential loitering, creating blocks and reducing the amount of space available for use by pedestrians and would block lines of sight and create a distraction for highway users reducing the safety of the highway. As such the proposal development is contrary to policy D8 'Public Realm' of the London Plan (2021) as well as policy PP1 'Public Realm', LP7 'Advertisements' and LP42 'Walking and Cycling' of the Hackney Plan. Policy T2 Health Streets, B of the London Plan (adopted in March 2021) says applications should "improve street comfort, convenience and amenity" which these applications do the opposite of.

We as members of the public do not want these adverts crowding our streets enticing us to buy things we don't need. Do not hand over our public space to corporate profiteers to the detriment of the amenity of our borough and local communities.