Businesses up in arms over signage

Bunbury business owners are frustrated with changes to the council's signage policy, which they say is restricting their space for advertising.

Changes to Local Planning Policy: Signage and Advertisements mean Bunbury businesses are no longer allowed to place their sandwich signs on roadside verges, instead only within the boundaries of their businesses.

Sandridge Village business owners say they are particularly frustrated as they moved into the area for its good exposure.

Director of Planning and Development Services Bob Karaszkewych said the final draft for the policy was advertised for 24 days last year and adopted soon after.

"The businesses had been placing a growing number of footway (sandwich board or A frame) signs on the verge of the Sandridge Road reserve without approval, which is public land and consequently were in breach of the Local Law," Mr Karaszkewych said.

"In this case the cluttering of unsecured footway signs posed a road safety hazard and resulted in poor visual amenity," he said.

The owner of Southern Shutters, Jenny McLeary, can now only advertise on an arcade pathway not visible from the road.

"We specifically phoned the shire, but were assured that as long as they (the signs) were a certain size and not too close to the road it was fine," Ms McLeary said.

"If they had said no to them, we wouldn't have moved in because we only moved for extra exposure."

The owner of Jesters Pies, Kirsty Lewis, said the village looked 'asleep' without signage.

"One of their reasons is that it's unsightly," Ms Lewis said.

"I think it will be more unsightly when tourists drive into Bunbury and it all looks closed or shut down because no one's been able to advertise."

Skylights WA general manager Brett Rice opened a Bunbury branch in Sandridge Village last November.

"It is very disappointing having now formally entered the Bunbury market and then have the shire effectively make life very difficult for us with this unreasonable decision," he said.

"I hope the shire will reconsider their position and formulate a minimum standard of safe signage which we can all adhere to."

Mr Karaszkewych said there were other avenues the businesses could pursue.

"A long-term solution, which has been discussed with BCCI, is for the owners of the Sandridge Village shopping centre to apply for the construction of a shared pylon sign located inside their property that contains the names of each tenancy," he said.