Residents living near a Grade II-listed Fulham park are urging the local council to remove banners they have described as “visual pollution”. The banners, which are attached to posts in Bishop’s Park, have reportedly been appearing over the last few months.
They provide wayfinding for Fulham Pier, the river-facing side of a new stand at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage ground, as well as a number of commercial ventures. Their installation has, however, left some local residents feeling rather perturbed, as they argue the banners not only impact the protected green space but were not properly applied for.
Cllr Amanda Lloyd-Harris, a Conservative councillor representing Palace and Hurlingham, said the installations are “not in keeping” with the park. A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said Fulham FC had requested permission to advertise on lampposts to assist with directions to Fulham Pier.
They added due to an “administrative oversight” the required consent had not been sought, though that this has been applied for retrospectively. Fulham FC was also approached for comment.
Bishop’s Park is one of the most popular outdoor spaces in Hammersmith and Fulham. Grade II-listed, it is a Green Flag site and one of two in the borough featured on English Heritage’s register of parks and gardens of special historical interest.
Craven Cottage is just north of the park, with crowds often making their way to the stadium via the space if coming from Putney Bridge station. Banners promoting the ground were previously installed along Stevenage Road, which runs adjacent to Craven Cottage, though it is understood those in Bishop’s Park have appeared in the last few months.
Cllr Lloyd-Harris said the park is meant to be protected from commercial advertising and that the appearance of the banners has become a point of contention with the council. “It is fly-posting,” she said. “Also it is visual pollution. Because you’re meant to be looking at a vista with trees, you’ve got three listed properties down Stevenage Road. You now have banners in front of them.”
Janet Harris, Treasurer of the Bishop’s Park Co-ordinating Group, said: “It’s a massive marketing effort and we get constant emails. I take my hat off, they’ve done a brilliant job [at Fulham Pier], but this is not the way to go.” Ms Harris added she does not mind banners being installed outside the club but that the park is beyond Fulham FC’s remit.
An employee at a local café said they are supportive of hospitality but that the appearance of the banners promoting venues at Fulham Pier without permission meant “it doesn’t feel like a level playing field”.
In communications with the council, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), residents have queried why the banners were allowed to be installed given permission had not been granted. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has said two retrospective applications have been submitted by the local authority.
It is understood that Bay Media, which is listed as the agent, sells lamppost banner advertising on the council’s behalf. The planning consent does not consider what is included on the banners but instead deals with whether it is appropriate to allow them to be displayed in those locations. Hence why it is the council applying to erect the banners, not Fulham FC. They are due to go to the Planning Committee in July when a final decision will be made.
The residents the LDRS spoke to however appear unimpressed with the answers received from the council so far. Cllr Lloyd-Harris said: “They’ve managed to tie themselves in knots over their responses to quite legitimate questions. If they were open and honest and said ‘this is where we’re at’, I think people wouldn't be concerned, but this suggests there’s something else that’s going on. Whether there is or not I don’t know but it just doesn’t feel right.”
She added: “The crux of this is it’s an inappropriate place to be putting banners up. This is a historically important park. It’s a Grade II-listed park. There’s a reason why it’s listed, there’s a reason why there are so few things we can do and have events here. Because of that it is not appropriate for this to be full of banners. It’s not in keeping with the park.”
A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesperson said: “Fulham Pier is an award-winning new destination venue, bringing tens of thousands of new visitors to Hammersmith and Fulham every week. With its conference facilities, Riverside Market, restaurants and cafés, private club and FinTech incubator, it plays a key role in our Upstream London industrial strategy, which has delivered London’s fastest growing economy and created thousands of new jobs in future industries.
“Owners Fulham FC requested permission to advertise on lamppost banners in Bishops Park and Stevenage Road to assist borough residents and visitors with directions to Fulham Pier. Unfortunately, due to an administrative oversight, the requisite consent to advertise in this way at new locations was not sought. Planning consent has now been applied for retrospectively.
“We are aware that some residents have objected to the placement of the banners. They are invited to formally respond to the consultation ahead of the decision-making July Planning Committee meeting.”
