WORD of mouth may be the best way to attract new customers, but a strategically placed advert can be worth it's weight in gold. The trouble is, where should it go?

Many traders believe A-boards on the pavement are the perfect solution, because they convey a simple message and can be seen from a fair way off. In fact you can't miss the things and therein lies the main argument against them. Now City of York Council wants to limit their number, size and location, by introducing an application process.

The row over A-boards dates back to 2013 when a council survey said 150 of them were causing an obstruction. This new policy will follow consultation with the public and businesses, together with charities representing blind people.

Leanne Ward owns Nails of Distinctions in Stonegate. It's on the first floor and she says without a sign in the street passers by would do just that.

Leanne moved in two years ago and didn't have an A-board at first. But when she noticed other businesses had one, she decided to go ahead. Since then footfall has gone up 40 per cent.

York Press:

Leanne Ward owner Nails of Distinctions in Stonegate. Picture: Matt Clark.

"People had trouble locating where we are," says Leanne. "My signage is limited to a small window above the door and it's busy down here. Being on an upstairs floor we are easily missed, but as soon as we put out an A-board we got a lot more walk in clients. If I wasn't allowed to have one, my business would suffer."

Leanne says she makes every effort to prevent it being a nuisance.

"Once the delivery vehicles have gone we move our board off the pavement onto the edge of the road, it's wide enough to get lots of people down."

Leanne's situation may be atypical, but clearly her board is a lifeline. Whether other, less hidden, city-centre businesses could argue their case so convincingly is what the consultation process will be all about.

But what about those on the city-centre periphery? Traders are constantly looking for ways to attract visitors away from Coney Street. Take Fossgate, an up and coming part of York that is full of independents with limited budgets. For them A-boards are ideal.

"We have to do all we can to get people to walk down here," says Mike Taylor of the Hairy Fig café and deli. "The whole thing about an A-board over an advert in the window is that people can see them as they come down the street."

Mike says people who have lived in York for many years still don't realise what's on offer in Fossgate.

"If you've got something saying come down here that would help," he says. "What we need is some kind official signpost, like the one for Franklins Yard over there.

York Press:

An interesting point and it's a lot smarter than most A-boards. But the thing is, most of us are too busy to notice how many there are when we walk through familiar surroundings, just look at these picture of Daveygate and Swinegate. Quite a surprise aren't they?

Perhaps the real issue isn't whether to have or not to have, but the impact these boards have. Many of York's medieval streets aren't made for them. Imagine Shambles lined with hoardings. Mike says A-boards should only be allowed on pavements that are wide enough for a wheel chair or pushchair to navigate with ease.

Diane Roworth of the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society agrees with Mike that official signs are a good idea, but for different reasons.

"It would be in a known position and that is another problem with A-boards, new ones keep arriving," she says. "If you are visually impaired you have to pay great attention to where you're going. The more obstacles that are in place, the harder it is to walk down a street safely and allowing A-boards makes it even worse. People end up having to focus on them rather than the shop window, to avoid bumping into them.

York Press:

Diane Roworth of the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society tries to navigate Mickelgate.

Diane says a particular problem for blind people is that guide dogs are trained to walk around obstacles. If an A-board is on a pavement, they would have to take their owner into the road to avoid it.

"They won't do that, so the person is stuck because the dog won't go forward."

Another idea Diane thinks would work is an app showing where city centre traders are located. Anything that avoids clutter.

"We should explore as many avenues as possible. I totally understand that businesses need to publicise the fact that they're there, but owners don't seem to understand that it's not their pavement to clutter up. It's a public highway. A-boards shouldn't be there without permission."

Panel David Fraser, chief executive of York Civic Trust says the issue is about three As: advertisements, aesthetics and access.

"The A in A-boards stands for advertisements as well as describing the shape of many of the boards. Most advertisements in the city centre have sensible standards about size, design, contents, position, lighting and materials. A-boards on the public highway have no controls (because they are illegal). A-boards are rarely high-quality in an aesthetic sense. Some are better than others, but many are poorly sited and many are ugly. Do we really want our cherished city to look like a highway strip outside Las Vegas? We feel most strongly about access, the third A. A-boards restrict access to the historic city for everybody. The streets are increasingly full. Cars and vans pick their way through the cyclists and pedestrians, negotiating roads that were not built for such traffic. Shop and office workers stride quickly and confidently across the city. Tourists slowly wander around, looking upwards and stopping on corners to consult maps. Some are using wheelchairs or pushing buggies. Many more cannot easily negotiate pavements and kerbs. Why should we all have to cope with random knee-height obstructions?

York Press:

A-boards on Back Swinegate. Picture: Matt Clark.

A-boards are a visual intrusion into streets enjoyed by millions of people. They obstruct historic features and views. They detract from the high quality design and materials which make York different from other cities. They reduce the likelihood of visitors enjoying their visit, and of making repeat visits. Let us replace them with well-designed and well-located advertisements."

What is the Council's position?

"There has been a long standing issue here in York on A-boards, and so I welcomed a paper which was brought to Executive in August which looked at how we could review this issue," says Cllr Ian Gillies, Executive Member for Transport and Planning.

“Whilst this was a welcome review, equally I do understand and am sympathetic to the needs of balancing the impact of A-boards on the public with the livelihood of small businesses who often rely on this method of advertising.

York Press:

A-boards on Swinegate. Picture: Matt Clark

“There may not be a simple solution to this, but whatever decision we do take must ensure that there is support provided to help find alternative methods of advertising and that all relevant bodies are fully consulted including members of the public, businesses and appropriate bodies such as the RNIB, Guide Dogs and the York Blind and Partially Sighted Society.”

Additional information: As the Highways Authority, the council has an overarching duty to prevent obstruction of the highway. However, under certain circumstances it can also give permission for items to be placed on the highway too. This review will establish the criteria for licensing A-boards at suitable locations across the city which will allow them to be better controlled than the current arrangements are.

What do shoppers in York think?

"I've no objection to them but why not put them to one side," says Peter Webb. "There's one over there propped against a wall that's a trip hazard. It shouldn't be leaning out like that.

"And that ghost walk board in Stonegate is just plain ugly, a bit of two by two with some plywood on the bottom. If you're going to have one, do it nicely and put in a bit of effort."

York Press:

Martin Johnson is visiting York with friends. He says it came as a bit of a shock to see so many a-boards. "I can understand why businesses need to use them, but be considerate to others.. Look all the way down Stonegate, you see loads of them. People like me come to York for it's narrow streets and alleys, they don't want them cluttered up like this."

"They don't add to the street, they take away the quaint atmosphere," says Alison Scott. "It's alright on a quiet day, but try getting past them on a busy Saturday. Then they're a real nuisance."

Click on the links below to see revious stories on this subject.

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10269525.York_traders_face_ban_on_A_boards

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/13613780.Traders_could_face_paying_to_have_an_A_board

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/features/readersletters/13623286.HOT_TOPIC__Counting_the_cost_of_A_boards/?ref=rss

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/features/readersletters/11863434.No_other_city_puts_up_with_the_A_boards/?ref=rss