Green Light for Balsall Common Roundabout Adverts Despite Safety Concerns
Advertising boards will be installed on three roundabouts in Balsall Common after Solihull Council's planning committee approved the controversial application, despite strong objections about potential driver distraction and visual clutter. The decision came during a meeting on March 11 at the Civic Suite, where eight councillors voted in favor, none against, and one abstained.
Application Details and Objections
The application, originally submitted in May 2025 by Steve Green of CP Media, proposed installing eleven non-illuminated signs across three village roundabouts. These included four signs at the Kenilworth Road and Station Road roundabout, four at the Dengate Drive and Chapel Drive roundabout, and three at the Kenilworth Road and Hallmeadow Road roundabout.
Each sign measures 1.2 meters by 50 centimeters and would be mounted on aluminum posts facing entrance roads to the roundabouts. During consultation, Balsall Parish Council formally objected to the proposal, citing significant safety concerns.
Safety Concerns Raised by Parish Council
Balsall parish councillor Richard Lloyd spoke passionately against the application during the public speaking section, emphasizing the potential dangers. "These roundabouts are on the main road through the village," he stated. "They aren't easy, they are quite small roundabouts. There are vulnerable users trying to cross the road, children and the elderly."
Lloyd further explained: "There are cyclists mixed in with impatient and speeding motorists. The last thing we need is for drivers to be distracted and that is exactly what the advertisements are intended to do." He added that villagers wanted "uncluttered streets and public spaces" and preferred Balsall Common to remain as "attractive as possible."
Planning Committee Debate
Planning officer Kim Allen presented the application to the committee, noting that highways engineers had raised no objections. "They (the signs) are innocuous, non-illuminated, relatively low," she said, adding that the signs would "assimilate with the street furniture around." She highlighted that the committee could only consider public safety and visual amenity in their decision.
Councillor David Cole argued in favor of approval: "Signs on roundabouts, see them every day. There are loads of them in the north of the borough, large, small, complex junctions. Thousands of cars pass them, no one takes any notice. I couldn't tell you what is on any of them. I don't see them causing any accidents anywhere."
However, Councillor Mark Wilson expressed reservations: "People do get distracted by them sometimes. There are a lot of accidents at roundabouts, partly through speeding but it could be driver distraction." He referenced a similar application in Meriden that was approved last year, though he had voted against it due to concerns about cluttering roundabouts.
Historical Context and Final Decision
The committee had previously refused a similar application at Kenilworth Road and Hallmeadow Road in 2018, making this approval particularly noteworthy. Councillor Dave Pinwell supported the current application, stating: "The principle is proven not to be a highways risk."
After thorough debate, the planning committee ultimately decided to approve the advertising boards, determining that the potential distraction risk did not outweigh the benefits of the signage. The decision marks a significant development for advertising in public spaces within Solihull borough, setting a precedent for future applications at similar locations.
