Road sign rage as board is set to go
Residents use back of their home to avoid it
A giant digital sign is to go dark – after claims it was distracting drivers.
Council chiefs have ordered the removal of the flashing billboard on Ayr’s Whitletts Road.
Media firm Posterplus have been operating the board on the entrance to town for five years.
But an attempt to renew their planning consent was thrown out amid safety concerns.
Furious sign boss Gavin Hollywood accused council chiefs of being “conflicted” in their decision making.
He told planners: “The council has been a paying client on this board.
“It’s been good enough for a number of political parties to spread their message down the years.”
Ayrshire’s Roads Alliance pointed to “significant concerns” around the safety of drivers passing the sign and said police shared their views.
Mr Hollywood, who accused the Roads Alliance of “arrogance,” hit out at their handling of the case.
“I think they need to learn from more qualified agencies,” he added.
“They tend to go from one calamity to another.”
Objector Lee Dodds, of Whitletts Road, said: “We’ve had to move to the back of our house.
“All you see in the front windows is flashing from the reflection of that sign.”
Mr Hollywood claimed fears over driver distraction was a “personal opinion”.
He claimed 30 million vehicles had passed the sign since its erection without a serious incident.
Councillor Craig MacKay, the council’s planning chairman, said: “Just because there are no statistics on accidents doesn’t mean to say there hasn’t been any.
“Perhaps in a better location this would be acceptable.”
Planning officer Michael McLelland added changes to sign policy had been made in the last five years.
He confirmed: “The previous application was considered under much narrower guidance.”