Richard, as I recall they all benefit from express consent, applications for them were originally refused by the Council but subsequently allowed on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate acting on behalf of the Secretary of State. Advert applications can only be assessed on highway safety & visual amenity grounds, and whilst TFL may have said it had objections to the adverts, they would rarely attend appeal proceedings to give weight to the Council's objections.The advert regs were tightened up slightly last year, in particular Class 8 deemed consent rights which previously allowed for adverts all around residential developments sites (i.e. without requiring consent from the Council). However for any development site that isn't primarily residential, there are still deemed consent rights available to advertisers.Matt mentioned enforcement, not sure which route the Council will go down, the continuing display of an illegal advertisement is a criminal offence that can be prosecuted under Section 224 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, but although the financial penalties upon conviction have increased they are still in many circumstances far smaller than the revenue generated by the adverts. Alternatively the Council could issue Notices under Section 11 of the London Local Authorities Act 1995, which would require the removal of the displays within 21 days, & if they're not removed the Council can appoint contractors itself to remove the displays & recover the reasonable costs incurred in doing so.
Adam Beamish ● 6331d