The Labour council is finally taking seriously the need for stronger rules to control the number of ‘to let’ boards in Durham City.

Durham County Council introduced a voluntary code in 2009. However, following this, many letting agents breached the code, so the council is now consulting on a possible application to the Secretary of State for a Regulation 7 Order.

The Regulation 7 Order would remove the current rights that agents and landlords have to display lettings boards without the need for consent, giving the council the power to decide whether boards should be allowed.

The consultation will ask whether people would like the voluntary code to remain or would support an application to the Government to give the council more power. This could either be for an order that limits the number of boards and the length of time they can be displayed ,or for one which would completely ban the boards from being used in the city without express consent.

Make your voice heard by 17 February

Local residents can take part at www.durham.gov.uk/consultation before Friday 17 February.

The issue of letting boards disfiguring the appearance of residential streets has been a major concern for your local Lib Dem Councillors and is an issue frequently raised by residents.

Therefore we are asking the council to make an application to the Secretary of State for a Regulation 7 Order to remove ‘deemed consent’ within the Historic City as limited by the extent of the Conservation Area.

Local Councillor David Freeman said:

“We were supportive of the council in its attempts to reduce the excessive advertising involving the display of letting boards in the Durham City Conservation Area.

“However, we did not believe that the introduction of the voluntary code was likely to resolve the issue. The voluntary code has proved difficult to enforce given continued breaches from some agents and landlords, and the limited ability for the Council to take formal action.

“The impact that letting boards are having on our ward and the wider Durham City centre is damaging to the appearance of our streets for residents and visitors. We also believe that to let boards are no longer an important marketing strategy for students to locate properties which will largely be done via the internet or the numerous student housing agents estate agents in the area. We support a Regulation 7 Order and believe that this will be supported by local residents.”

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