Author: Cyril Richert

Planning Application 2014/0492 has been submitted for a (temporary) large, externally illuminated advertising hoarding at Clapham Junction, this time for the outside of Wessex House (St John’s Hill).

Temporary advertising board to cover scaffolding on Wessex House

The display of an illuminated hoarding is planned on scaffolding shroud (6.8m high, 14.6m wide and 20cm deep) for a period of one year. It won’t be digital, but illuminated with overhead lamps.

The Wessex House has been let for 10 years to the Grand, and a scaffolding will be erected to inspect the façade and the roof, which certainly needs work. Several phases are planned, which requires first to inspect the building, carry the necessary repair and then cleaning, restoring and refurbishing the Wessex House building. The advertising board on top of the scaffolding would allow to raise more cash to contribute to the refurbishment.

Two proposals to erect large digital advertising board beside the Revolution Bar at the Junction and beside Asda on Lavender Hill have been withdrawn last autumn.

Although different from the previous application at the Junction, it must be noted that the site façade (and therefore the proposed advertising board) will be adjoining the Clapham Junction Conservation Area. In addition the structure supporting the advertising board will come forward as the building upper floors step backward from the street frontage.

A previous similar plan in Putney Hight Street

The Council pointed out a previous application for a similar proposal (13m tall, 12m wide) for 10 months on a scaffolding in Putney High Street, that was allowed after appeal. The decision considered that it was not creating a distraction for the traffic as to endanger the road users, and the zone being brightly lit at night, it won’t be a problem in a “busy, urban, commercial environment“. The judge justified his choice between the debris screened scaffolding and the temporary advertisement as appropriate measure  to speed up the work on the frontage.

As for Putney, conditions to restrict the illumination to some hours (for example 4pm -11pm) and for a maximum period could be set. A different type/size of advertising should also be preferred, or no advertising at all.

Northcote councillors said in their newsletter that they will be opposing this application as being inappropriate in the Clapham Junction conservation area and town centre. The Wandsworth Conservation Area Advisory Committee has decided to object too.

You can send your comments on the Council’s website (P.A. 2014/0492).