Advertising and commercial lighting

‘In the theatre, stage lighting is the most important way to set a particular mood or create an atmosphere.’

local thespian resident.

It goes without saying that the people who live and work in the neighbourhood would enjoy the kind of commercial lighting that creates an atmosphere which is friendly, stylish but not tacky, and with visual appeal that creates an attractive environment.

The question is – how can this be achieved?

When the question was asked, some residents felt there were signs in the neighbourhood that were more attractive than others. Bright internal illumination was regarded as gaudy and didn’t enhance the overall atmosphere and appearance of the neighbourhood. It was also felt that bright internal illumination would be more likely to create an atmosphere that encourages anti-social behaviour and that external hooded lights on signs created a more sophisticated or warm and friendly atmosphere.

It would appear that the neighbourhood’s opinions fit with research findings. Bright lights and different colours do create different emotional responses. Red: quickness, boldness. White: innocence, cleanliness. Pink: softness.

Studies on lighting reveal that brightly lit areas attract groups. Residents have seen an example of this first hand. A local observer: ‘When the security lights of the garage forecourt are on all night, groups gather to chat and skate board. When the security lights are turned off the youths don’t congregate.’

Everyone agrees that all commercial lighting should be turned off at the close of business.

It is expected that the planning authority and business proprietors will accept that the plan of the neighbourhood is unusual with businesses on one side of the street and the other all housing, and respect the limitations that this brings where commercial lighting is concerned. The side of the road which faces the shops and garage is entirely residential. Most of the houses, extending from the top of the parade to Humphris Garage, have wide frontages with large window coverage at the front. It is because of this that all high level advertising is regarded as a bad idea in this location and in particular, illuminated high-level advertising. The commercial advertising desires of a business cannot seriously be allowed to take precedence over the ordinary expectations of people in their homes where signs and illumination seriously intrude upon residents. They have to be curtailed. For obvious reasons such things are not an issue on trading estates or in city centres. This community supports the businesses on the parade and wants to live in harmony with them.

There are laws incorporated in the human rights act to protect the basic rights of ordinary individuals in their homes. However, it is also within the power of the Oxford City Council planning authority to institute their own regulations to protect citizens. The council has written into its own policy that commercial lighting should not adversely affect the amenity of an area. In this situation, with the houses directly opposite, internal illumination and high level signs obviously do affect the amenity of this area.

In the past 12 months Humphris have increased their dealership threefold. With their own trade name, they are now seeking to advertise four logos at a high level on their fascia. They are also seeking to have two advertising pylons, one with internal illumination. In past years one of the sites was rejected as a retrospective planning application by the planning authority (Humphris had already constructed the pylon without planning consent). The garage was instructed to remove the pylon by the planning authority. Now it appears that the garage, not to be thwarted, is trying again.

This is a predominately residential neighbourhood and there are houses almost on top of the garage. The semi-detached houses next door to Humphris are situated approx. 10 inches from the garage. It may be the choice of the garage to increase their dealership threefold but the neighbourhood community cannot be expected to accommodate their constantly growing needs. The community regards Humphris as a single business like any of the other businesses on the parade and feel strongly that they should comply with the tone which is set by the overwhelming majority in the neighbourhood.

As with the suggestion of screening out a mobile phone mast by trees and hedging, the same legal principals apply here in terms of residents providing their own hedges to try to screen themselves from commercial lighting: Recent legislation has now established that a resident no longer has an unquestionable right to grow hedging more than six feet high. A six feet high hedge cannot camouflage sixteen feet high commercial lights and advertising signs. In any case, no one can be expected to grow a 16 – 20 feet high hedge to facilitate the advertising needs of a commercial enterprise.

Residents are aware that there will be considerable changes made to this part of Rose Hill road in the near future with re-development of the ex-pub site. The community wants to ensure that a bad precedent for lighting is not set by the planners for Humphris which could then be carried through to other parts of the neighbourhood in future.

It is agreed that the whole community, residents and businesses alike, all stand to benefit by a neighbourhood that looks its best. A voluntary gesture by all businesses in the neighbourhood to only employ quality hooded external illumination to signage would create a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere in the neighbourhood environment from which ultimately, business and resident would both benefit.