Colchester A-board row as business says it won't pay £100 fine

Mel Wallis, who owns Mews Barbers and is landlord of Smith's bar, both in Church Street, said the board is crucial to growing a customer base.

"It's a lifesaver for us," he said.

"It really is how we grow the business, it's extremely important for businesses down these side streets around Colchester.

"While you can appreciate the council is trying to make the town better for partially sighted people, we have had absolutely no issues with the board.

"Businesses are suffering so badly in Colchester. A lot of people are stuck in leases where they've got no chance and they are having to hang in there.

"I'm actually thinking about doing a round-robin of businesses, saying 'put your boards out'.

"What could the council do about this if collectively we all have our boards out."

A-boards in Colchester town centre in 2017, before the ban was put in place (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Wallis also accused the council of double standards, after regularly spotting E-scooters littering the pavements around the city.

"Last Sunday alone, I counted seven scooters lying across the pavements," he said.

"I am refusing to pay [the fine], because I want to see how far they'll take it.

"We are thinking about other ways we can advertise and are looking at putting sleeves on the bollards as you come into Church Street."

Barber Harri Finan said the board had been left outside every day for the past nine months, with "zero accidents or incidents".

But as the board falls foul of Colchester Council's public spaces protection order (PSPO), the business has been hit with a £100 for failing to remove it.

• READ MORE: Colchester coffee shop ordered to remove sign or face fine

"We are the only town in Essex that aren’t allowed boards out still, but our business is not the only one in Colchester to be putting them up," he said.

"Because we are a small business we are getting hit hard, we are coming into dark times this winter.

"The town's dead, what with no more M&S, Debenhams and Next, and with Sainsbury's due to refit, yet the small businesses have to suffer.

"The council should be happy for small businesses to advertise and survive."

Mr Finan said the barber's used to have "six or seven" older clients who would get their hair cut when visiting the now closed Marks and Spencer shop in the High Street.

"Losing M&S means we've lost those clients, guaranteed," he said.

In 2017, Colchester Council issued a blanket ban on advertising boards across the town as part of its Public Space Protection Order.

The authority says the ban is “about helping to make our town centre a safe, attractive and welcoming place for all visitors, including people who are visually impaired or who have restricted mobility”.

A spokesman said zone wardens had paid several visits to the barbers in recent months.

He said: “Church Street falls within the area covered by the PSPO and, as such, the rule that restricts the use of A-boards or other removable or unsecured structures applies in the same way as it does elsewhere in the town centre.

“We want to work with businesses, not against them, to ensure they do not fall foul of the rules.

“Our wardens will always visit businesses with a copy of the PSPO and advise on ways to avoid breaching the restrictions, providing further opportunities to comply, before any further action is taken.

“Only when the advice continues to be ignored will a fine be given.”