Draft regulations on roadside billboards

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has published draft policy regulations on roadside billboards in a bid to clean up illegally-erected structures and pinpoint "legal" sites.

Both the regulations governing billboards and the entity overseeing the upholding of such rules had been unclear. But the growing number of businesses profiting from the billboards which mushroomed all over the islands prompted Mepa to assume responsibility recently.

While identifying sites where billboards may be erected, the policy also gives design guidelines for billboards and signs.

"The billboard and sign policy guidance deals with all forms of billboards, signs and outdoor advertising, except fascia signs on shops and commercial premises and official traffic signage," the authority said.

The policy defines billboards as "large-scale advertising, usually free standing and which may or may not be illuminated", the content of which is presumed to change regularly. Signs are defined as smaller than billboards and intended to show direction to specific locations or services.

While many billboard owners rented out the structures to advertisers after paying a one-time permit, most pocketed up to Lm500 from advertisers who could not be bothered whether the structures were illegal as long as they served their purpose.

In September 2005, 70 billboards had been stamped with a two week-enforcement notice. Since then, 33 were removed from Marsa, Hamrun, Burmarrad, Mosta, Rabat, Mgarr, Naxxar and Bugibba. In recent weeks, Mepa also removed 17 concrete blocks used to hold up billboards which had been removed by owners who obeyed enforcement notices.

Planning director Christopher Borg said the illegal billboards removed by Mepa were the ones which had either not been changed to the accepted design or had not regularised their illegal planning position.

"More direct action will be taken in the coming weeks until all the present illegal billboards will be replaced by acceptable ones in the appropriate locations," Mr Borg said.

Though Mepa publicised its policy document - which can be viewed on Mepa's website www.mepa.org.mt - on November 28, the document was only uploaded on the web page yesterday afternoon.

Comments and suggestions can be made to the director of planning by January 15, 2006.