Hammersmith and Fulham Council said it had received concerns from residents about the use of A-boards, in particular along Uxbridge Road
Hammersmith and Fulham Council is to temporarily ban advertising boards on a key West London road as it consults on a potential borough-wide scheme.
The local authority said it has received concerns from residents about the advertisements, also known as A-boards, in particular their use along Uxbridge Road. The ban on boards along the Shepherd’s Bush highway is to be in-place for 12 months from October as a trial to inform the potential roll-out across the entire borough.
Vikki, a spokesperson for the campaign group Fix Uxbridge Road, welcomed the decision.
She said: “Successful high streets depend on people being able to reach shops, move between them and enjoy spending time there. Businesses can advertise through shopfronts, windows, awnings, digital channels and coordinated street signage without placing obstacles in pedestrian routes.
“A thriving high street is one that everyone can use. Clear the boards. Clear the way. Make our high streets accessible to everyone.”
A-boards are deployed on high streets across the country to advertise businesses’ services and products. Their use has come under fire in certain areas due to their blocking of sections of the pavement and their perception as clutter.
Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea are among the capital’s local authorities which do not authorise A-boards on the highway.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council currently charges £275 a year to issue a highways licence to allow an A-board to be put up. A 2025 survey suggested there were up to 950 unlicensed A-boards across the borough.
In a report proposing the consultation and temporary ban along Uxbridge Road, from the junction with Ariel Way to the border with neighbouring Ealing, council officers wrote: “In practice, however, licences are generally not applied for, and the absence of a licence has rarely been enforced through the issue of a fine.
“The council has usually sought to deal with unauthorised A-boards by asking businesses to remove them. This approach has reflected a desire to support small businesses, avoid formal enforcement action and resolve issues informally wherever possible.”
Officers wrote that Uxbridge Road has been the subject of a particularly high number of complaints regarding A-boards. These range from fears about the challenges for blind and partially sighted residents to reducing the quality of the street environment.
“The council’s Law Enforcement Team (LET) has undertaken recent work on Uxbridge Road, and further targeted engagement and enforcement activity is proposed,” the report stated.
“This should be supported by a clear policy position and a consistent escalation process, so that businesses understand what is expected and residents can see that obstruction and clutter are being addressed.”
A survey looking into the impacts on businesses on Uxbridge Road received just five responses, two of which claimed the effect would be negative if A-boards had to be removed.
Three of the five are however down as believing the council should ban A-boards from being placed on the highway.
Their use in private forecourts elicited different feedback, with four respondents believing A-boards in this setting should continue to be allowed.
A meeting with the Disabled Residents Team (DRT) found support for restrictions, at a minimum, on the use of A-boards.
The Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Travel, Cllr Nicole Trehy, has now signed off on the 12-month Uxbridge Road ban plus the wider consultation.
Officers wrote: “A-boards can provide a useful and low-cost form of advertising for businesses, but their uncontrolled use on the public highway creates street clutter, can obstruct pedestrians and raises particular accessibility concerns for blind and partially sighted people.
“The evidence from Uxbridge Road demonstrates that the current approach has not resolved repeated resident complaints or secured sustained compliance.”
Vikki told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “A pavement should be a safe route to walk through, not an advertising space.
“Fix Uxbridge Road strongly welcomes the council’s consultation and the 12-month trial prohibition on Uxbridge Road. We support Option 2: a borough-wide ban on A-boards across the highway, including private forecourts that legally form part of it. That said, Option 2 must be the beginning, not the limit, of the council’s ambition.
“The ultimate objective should be clear: no A-board should obstruct, endanger or intimidate people using a pavement or publicly accessible forecourt regardless of where an invisible property boundary happens to fall.
“For blind and partially sighted people, wheelchair and mobility-aid users, older residents, and parents and carers with pushchairs, A-board are unpredictable obstacles that narrow walking routes, force people away from the building line, create collision and trip risks, and can push pedestrians dangerously close to traffic.”
Vikki further called for the council to request that the Government reforms legislation to give local authorities “clear powers to restrict or prohibit obstructive A-boards on private land adjoining the pavement”.
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “Local people have expressed concerns about obstructions from A-boards – specifically in Uxbridge Road. By reducing clutter on the high street and making it more attractive and accessible for pedestrians, we hope to increase footfall past the many excellent businesses on the road.”
Get the biggest stories from around London straight to your inbox. Sign up to MyLondon’s The 12 HERE for the 12 biggest stories each day.
