New LED illuminated advertising display boards will be installed outside Kew Retail in Southport, as part of the modernisation of traditional ‘paper and paste’ billboards.
The units will target drivers entering and leaving Southport via Kew Roundabout, with details of businesses within the park in addition to other messaging.
Vivid Outdoor Media Solutions said: “The high quality digital advertising displays would reinforce this gateway point on a main arterial route in and out of the town centre. It would also provide benefits to local businesses and communities, and so create a positive image of the town and surrounding area.”
A planning application for the units has been approved by Sefton Council.
It is part of a drive to create new LED illuminated panels, which have grown in number from just 45 in 2015 to over 1,500 today.
Kew Retail Park supports seven retail warehouse units and a purpose built car wash, totalling approximately 53,858 sq ft (5,005 sq m). The retail warehousing terrace is of steel portal frame construction under pitched roofs. There are approximately 161 car parking spaces.
Tenants include: Jollyes – The Pet People; Southport Pets; GSF Car Parts; Dreams; Wickes; and Anduff Car Wash Ltd.
The new Jollyes pet store has opened at Kew Retail Park in Southport
A planning statement by Chris Welbourne Outdoor Advertising Services said: “Vivid Outdoor Media Solutions (A) Ltd seeks planning consent to build two x 48 sheet freestanding LED illuminated advertising display panels in a ‘V’ formation.
“The units would measure 6.4m wide x 3.4m high and would be presented in a landscape format. The underside of the units would be approximately 2.2m above ground level.
“The proposed advertisements would be built in front of the brick compound, which is a facility for United Utilities, and would face traffic along the A570 Scarisbrick New Road / Southport Road in each direction at the point of the Old Duke Roundabout.
“One display unit would be built on the north-west facing elevation of the brick compound, visible to traffic travelling out of Southport and at the entrance road into the Retail Park, whilst the other display unit would be built in front of the south-west facing elevation, visible to traffic travelling into Southport town centre.
“Kew Retail Park is an established shopping destination on the outskirts of Southport which was constructed in 2000 and comprises six individual retail units and a car wash operation.
“Illuminated advertisements in a location such as the application site would not be unusual and is exactly the kind of place where one would expect to find advertisements of this scale and design. The application proposal is therefore in line with local and national policy guidelines relating to the location of advertisements in commercial areas.
“Illuminated advertisements of the size and design proposed in the application are now a common sight on arterial roads in most towns and cities across the UK, as it is now widely accepted that ‘appropriately sited and well-designed advertising’ may be acceptable in commercial areas of large open scale. As such, digital advertisements are not an unusual feature in the street scene of most urban areas.
“In fact in 2015 there were only 45 LED Illuminated 48 sheet panels in the UK. There are now over 1,500 sites, many of which are new locations such as the application site, and others which were established ‘paper and paste’ billboard sites which have been modernised.
“These display sites are in operation across the country, ranging from cities as large as London to towns as small as Ilfracombe.
“The images would change once every 10 seconds in a sequential manner, and very importantly, would be of a static nature. The displays will have no special effects, animation or movement which could increase their visual prominence within the local area.
“Primarily the display panels would be used to promote the tenants’ businesses on the Retail Park, together with advertising for the commercial products and services of local and national businesses. However, the technology would provide the flexibility to display local messages relating to Council, highway or emergency safety information if required.
“Many local authorities have encouraged the development of high quality advertising sites, as they recognise the potential benefits that advertising can bring to the local area. In addition to making a positive contribution to the street scene, the application proposal for high quality digital advertising displays would reinforce this gateway point on a main arterial route in and out of the town centre. It would also provide benefits to local businesses and communities, and so create a positive image of the town and surrounding area.”
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