IN response to concerns from members regarding the manner in which the regulations related to the display of outdoor advertising and display signs are adhered to, the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce engaged the Development Control Authority on the matter.
According to a chamber statement, “In recent times there had been the removal of signs by the DCA as well as the placement of removal notices on numerous signs owned by Chamber Members.”
On Thursday the 5th of July the Chamber met with Physical Planning Officers and the Chairman of the DCA, Mr. Clem Bobb, to discuss the concerns.
The statement said, “Chamber members from the onset indicated that it was their desire and intention to comply with the rules regulating to outdoor display signs and advertisements.
“Members did express their concerns with the lengthy process for approving signs and the ambiguous nature of the regulations, saying these issues made it difficult to comply with the current advertising and signage regulations and how DCA was attempting in implement it.”
It continued, “On the part of the DCA, it was felt that some members of the business community were neglectful in their approach to adopting the regulations and following the prescribed steps as per the regulations.
“After some discussion, this disconnect was attributed to the extensive use of third parties in the outdoor signage activities. As such, approaches to improve and engage in consistent dialogue was discussed, including regular direct conversations between the DCA and business community, where questions and concerns could be shared.”
According to the statement, “It was strongly suggested that companies advertising using outdoor displays should take greater care in ensuring that their signs and outdoor advertising met the regulations and as such the verification through Duty of Care Approach should be adopted by Chamber members, as opposed to relying solely on the word and role of third party signage companies.”
The Chamber says the following next steps were agreed to inter alia: An Outdoor Advertisement Display Manual will be shared with Chamber members; the DCA will meet Chamber members again to get feedback on the manual; members will furnish the DCA with a directory of their existing outdoor signage and locations; and DCA will continue its efforts at addressing internal and administrative shortcomings that contribute to delays in the approval process.
The Chamber has pledged “to continue this productive dialogue with the DCA and submit comments on the existing regulations aimed at enhancing the same.”