A DRIVEWAY company has been ordered to pay more than £4,500 after illegally erecting advertising boards on a number of streets in South Gloucestershire. 

John Joseph McDonagh of Meadowview in Shortwood, Pucklechurch, was convicted in his absence at Bristol Magistrates Court on Monday, March 18. 

South Gloucestershire Council prosecuted Everset Driveways Ltd for placing advertising boards on council-owned street furniture without permission. 

The court heard that between September 2022 and October 2023 alone, a total of 113 advertising boards belonging to the business had been found by the council. 
 
Adverts were found across the area including in Kingswood at Park Road and New Cheltenham Road in Yate at the junction of St. Briavels Drive and Highworth Crescent. 

Seven illegally placed adverts were also discovered in Filton at the roundabout junction of Gloucester Road North, Southmead Road and the A4174.

McDonagh was fined £2,500 and was ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation plus £1,063 in costs - a total of £4,563.
  
Robert Evely, Environmental Enforcement team leader at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “After discovering such a vast amount of fly posted advertising material across South Gloucestershire we were left with no other option than to prosecute the business.

“The council’s environmental enforcement, street enforcement and cleansing teams have worked together to gather the evidence and progress this case. 

“The sheer number of offences discovered constitutes a significant use of council resources, as well as presenting a risk to pedestrians due to their placement, and a risk to highway users due to the obvious distraction they can present.”
 
Flyposting and the illegal/unauthorised use of advertising boards is an offence against Section 224 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and under Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980.