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London Local Authorities Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 6: "6: Page 5, line 23, leave out ““either”” and insert ““any””" The noble Lord said: My Lords, I shall also speak to Amendment No. 7. Clause 5 deals with a problem that was originally peculiar to Westminster and the West End but is now spreading to other London boroughs. The number of portable advertisements now being displayed in Oxford Street alone is out of control. As your Lordships will know, the display of advertisements is strictly controlled under town and country planning law but a loophole now enables ““board guys””, as I understand they are called, to stand in the street holding sometimes enormous placards on heavy metal bars in quite inappropriate places. Clause 5 would bring the display of these advertisements under the control of the local planning authority. The amendments are technical and have been requested by and agreed with the Department for Communities and Local Government. I hope that they are not controversial. They are intended to ensure that the offence of unlawful display does not, for instance, extend to the carrying of plastic bags with traders’ names on them or the wearing of T-shirts with company logos on them. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.