No flies on us – city solves poster problem

Published on Sunday 16 August 2009 22:08

IT has long been the scourge of Scotland's capital when the world's biggest arts festival rolls into town. Each year, every available inch of space on a wall or railing becomes an unofficial billboard for a Fringe comedian or student musical. But now Edinburgh City Council claims it has finally all but stamped out illegal fly posting by creating the first official sites for Fringe acts to advertise their shows.

Specially designated temporary advertising spots have been permitted by the council throughout August in a bid to bring levels of flyposting under control and cut a 75,000 bill for taxpayers.

The cost of removing posters and cleaning up walls, lamp-posts and railings during the festivals season represents almost a third of the council's bills for the whole year. It has agreed to install a host of temporary sites – including circular drums, triangular fencing, lamppost columns and hoardings on railings – in the wake of a successful experiment with a group of major nightspots.

The move has been agreed following years of arguments about how to deal with flyposting during the festival and claims that the council had failed to take a proactive approach.

The official spots have been revealed as the council grapples with the impact of a bitter pay dispute with refuse collectors and street cleaners that has seen huge piles of rubbish cluttering up the capital.

Among the official festival locations for flyposting are Chambers Street, Bristo Place, the Cowgate, Drummond Street, the Grassmarket, Middle Meadow Walk and the Pleasance.

The council has joined forces with a major postering company to run about 17 official sites. It has pledged to help tackle any illegal flyposting it sees around the city while removing any unauthorised posters plastered on official sites without permission.

The city council said yesterday that early anecdotal evidence from its officers had showed there was "very little" illegal flyposting going on in the city.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "During last year's festival, we spent around 75,000 dealing with flyposting in the city centre and the south side.

"This involved our city centre taskforce, environmental wardens and community safety officers spending a considerable amount of time removing and following up on flyposting. So far this year, we've not used any resources to deal with it."

The city's environment leader Robert Aldridge said: "Not only will it enable shows to have prime advertising space in the city centre, it'll keep the city looking clean and colourful during the festival.

"This will also allow our environmental wardens to continue with the many other important aspects of their jobs."

City Centre Posters spokesman Dave Hall said: "We are pleased to be working with the council, promoters, venues and artists on this project to provide affordable advertising for everyone during the festival. So far, all our clients are very happy with the service we've provided."