Large Digital Ad Display Proposed At Turnham Green Terrace

Images on flank wall by traffic lights would change every minute

An application has been made for the the installation of an LED display unit fronting onto Turnham Green Terrace which will change its image every 60 seconds. The previous permission allowed the image to change once every 24 hours.

The application site is the western facing flank wall of 178 Chiswick High Road at its junction with Turnham Green Terrace which is the side wall of Joe and The Juice.

The building is three storey in height and the flank wall has been used for a conventional display for the last 12 years. Permission was granted in July 2018 to replace this display with a 2.88m x 4.16m LED display following the extension and refurbishment of the building.

Consent was granted because it was felt that the proposal would be for a smaller and less bulky display than that which previously existed. Although the previous display was for a tri-vision unit whose display changed on a regular basis the council attached condition to the consent which
restricted the change of display to once every 24 hours.

The applicant says that digital outdoor advertising is moving forward with new innovations. They want a variation of the condition for a shorter change rate. They say that using TFL's publication Guidance for Digital Roadside Advertising as a guide, they have calculated that the rate of change could be every 7.23 seconds. While this would meet with TfL guidance, they feel that a change every 60 seconds would tie in with the traffic lights which would be more acceptable to the Council.

The application is likely to be considered on the basis of its harm to highway safety. The applicant states: "We are aware that the Councils Highways Engineers have comment about highway safety due to the volumes of traffic passing the site and because the rate of change would be excessive when viewed against the changing traffic lights. We have taken these views into consideration and would comment that traffic speeds past the site are relatively lower and that the rate of change of the lights is every 60 seconds.

"We have therefore amended our proposal so as the display, although static, will change every 60 seconds and would not be a distraction to highways users."

The application reference on Hounslow's planning portal is P/2019/1353.

April 23, 2019