Camden News - by RICHARD OSLEY and SIMON WROE Published: 28 August 2008
Cllr Theo Blackwell
PARKS AND ESTATES GET 'McADVERTS'
Plans to allow companies to advertise in public gardens
BIG businesses are to be offered the chance to sponsor Camden’s parks, paying for the right to have their logos posted on welcome signs. The scheme – dubbed “McCamden Advertising Plc” by sceptics – is part of a council plan to rake in around £500,000.
Companies will also be given more freedom to hire out parks and open spaces for private use.
Finance chiefs said clothing giant Ted Baker had already approached the Town Hall about a deal to hire out a park in the south of the borough, although objections from ward councillors saw the deal collapse.
The council is also considering allowing advertising hoardings on council estates which are being refurbished and allowing promotional flags to hang from lampposts.
Opposition councillors and park users are rallying against the proposals.
Labour councillor Theo Blackwell said: “Our public gardens could be ruined by commercial advertising for fast-food chains or worse.”
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Your comments:
If traders have been warned about the consequences and still ignored them in this way they should be named and shamed. It's disgraceful. Georgina Parry