Two internally illuminated digital media displays ruled as 'inappropriate development'


Image: Tibbets Corner - sabre-roads

The application for two hoardings at the underpass at Tibbets Corner on the A3 for a twenty five year period was rejected by Wandsworth Council as the land has Green Belt protections. The council planning report states: 'The development would therefore constitute inappropriate development, in detriment to the character and openness of the land' .

The report also states: 'It is considered that the proposal would constitute an erosion of the open character of the Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), increasing the urban appearance of the vicinity, blurring the distinction between the built up area and open land, potentially paving the way for further encroachment in the future'.

A spokesperson for pressure group ‘TakeDownTheAds' told this website: "We, like so many other residents, have been appalled by the growing proliferation of these large scale and extremely garish LED screens throughout the borough, situated on already busy and cluttered streetscapes and in some cases encroaching into Metropolitan Open Land. We can cite a number of examples elsewhere in the Borough where planning permission has been granted with both unpleasant and unwelcome impact - in our opinion - on visual amenity. With the environment so high on the Agenda it is encouraging to see that the Council has adopted this stance and in so doing also negate any potential damage on wildlife and associated biodiversity that the screens at Tibbets Corner might have inflicted. We expect the Planning Department to protect our Borough, its green open spaces and associated wildlife and we very much welcome the fact that, in this instance at least, it has."


Similar ad hoardings at Rosslyn Park RFC

Residents had objected to the hoardings due to their size, light pollution: 'These kind of enormous digital screens are a blight on the landscape. They are ugly, distracting and an insult to visual amenity.'


September 24, 2019