Billboards and advertisements regulations
Consultation table data
| Published |
23-03-2017 |
| Closing date |
24-04-2017 |
1. Background
The display of outdoor advertisements is a common feature of modern commercial activity. Outdoor advertising can take many forms including billboards, signs, posters and placards. All these forms of advertising demand attention and seek to stand out from their surroundings. A balance needs to be struck between the advertisers’ commercial interest to publicize their products and activities and legitimate concerns to protect the environment and to seek to blend such new development into its surroundings.
1.2 All outdoor advertisements affect the appearance of the building, structure or place where they are displayed. They are designed to communicate information or a message to passers-by and modern advertisements often seek to attract attention and to catch the eye with the use of bright colours and materials, large dimensions and illumination. Frequently they are sited in highly visible, prominent locations and busy roads. These features may create a visual conflict with the environment in which advertisements are displayed, particularly in urban environments of architectural or historic importance, residential areas and the open countryside.
1.3 Advertisements can add colour and vitality to an uninteresting scene, or screen an unsightly view. In general, however, they can only enhance a street scene or the environment in which they are situated if they are sympathetically designed and do not dominate their surroundings. Particular difficulties arise when advertisements are sited on or close to buildings. The appearance of a building can be spoiled by the choice of advertisement materials, colour, proportion, illumination that is alien to the building’s design or fabric, inappropriate design of supporting structure or unsightly ancillary cabling, so that the advertisement appears brash, over-dominant or incongruous. Poorly sited advertisements may have an adverse impact on road safety by distracting drivers, interrupting visibility or giving confusing messages.
1.4 This document includes parameters and criteria for assessing such development permit applications, to ensure that outdoor advertising is of a high design standard that will not have a visual impact or affect road safety conditions.
2. Documents
Draft LN Billboards -ENG
Draft LN Billboards -MLT
MAPS
1. SPB Bypass
2. Salina Coast Road
3. St. Andrews Road
4. Regional Road
5. Msida
6. Pieta
7. Tal-Barrani
8. 13th December
9. Garibaldi
10. Council of Europe
11. Birkirkara Bypass
12. Gozo
13. Mellieha
14. Pwales
15. Burmarrad
16. T'Alla w Ommu
17. Mosta
18. Gharghur/San Gwann
19. San Giljan
20. Gzira
21. Hamrun/ St Venera
22. Ta Buqana
23. Attard
24. Mriehel
25. Marsa
26. Qormi
27. Fgura
28. Luqa
29. Marsaxlokk/ Birzebbuga
30. Zabbar/ Marsascala
3. Submission of Input
The Planning Authority invites the public to submit representations on the proposed legal notice on billboards. Any such submissions are to be sent by email address: advertisements.legalnotice@pa.org.mt
Submissions must be sent to the Authority by Monday 10th April 2017
Thank you for your input.