A common complaint from residents is about signs and other paraphernalia left outside shops and other establishments blocking the public footpaths. This is a particular problem to people with pushchairs, shopping trolleys and the disabled on mobility scooters.

The most recent complaint I received was about the sign below  in Junction Road.

I checked with Hampshire Highways who are responsible for local footpaths and their response was that they can take action about these boards if they are on the public highway but they tend to be light handed as shops regard the boards as an effective form of advertising. In general they will not give permission for this type of sign on the highway and if the sign is causing an obstruction they will ask for its removal.

However in many cases the demarcation between the public highway and private land is unclear and the pavement in front of shops is not  public highway but the private forecourt of the shop. Shop owners are entitled to put signs on their land. In this case part but not all of the pavement is the shop’s forecourt and they have agreed to keep the sign on that and not obstruct the highway. I thank them for their co-operation.