I wrote to Telford & Wrekin Council a couple of weeks ago asking them how much they charge the EU to advertise on Telford road signs.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act, the EU flag is an advertisment.  As well as flying this advertisment from the council HQ, the boundary signs as you enter Telford and the signs around the town centre area feature an EU flag.  This advertisment is, presumably, free of charge yet local businesses have to pay for this premium advertising space.

Here’s what I got today:

Dear Mr Parr

I apologise for the delay in responding to you in this matter but I have sort advice from other departments in the Council on this issue.

I am told that a working group was held with Public Relations and various Members when the Borough became a Unitary Authority who agreed that from a political point of view the EU flag should be put on the signs. The cost of sign production was sponsored by private businesses including Telewest, PSM and Merrythought (costs £30k approx). I also assume that the Borough has benefited from European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) on a number of projects and it is not uncommon on scheme boards associated with projects to display logos of contributors.

I hope this information is satisfactory.

Nick Kitchen
Senior Traffic Engineer
Traffic Team
Tel 01952 202177
email nick.kitchen@telford.gov.uk

Nice of him to make an effort but it doesn’t actually answer my questions which is kind of pointless.

Nick,

Thanks for getting back to me.

My original query was that the EU flag is an advertisment under the Town & Country Planning Act. I asked how much the council was paid in return for carrying these advertisments on boundary signs and signs around the town centre.

I’m not sure what political reason would justify giving free advertisments to the EU, especially when other companies are paying to advertise on the signs. Surely this puts the council in a difficult position in that they are charging local businesses who are less able to afford advertising but give free advertising to the EU which has a multi-billion pound budget courtesy of the taxpayer.

The signing convention for projects funded by the EU is to put a sign up by the project. I don’t recall the EU having any involvment in building either Telford or the town centre. Are you saying that without putting an advertisment for the EU on every boundary sign that Telford wouldn’t have received funding for any projects? That’s extortion surely? Are there any guidelines or rules on advertising for local authorities? Can I have a copy of any please?

If the EU isn’t going to be charged for its advertisments can I have a free one too?