Billboards to be cut by new laws

FORESTS of advertising hoardings at the entrance to every French town are set to vanish after ecology minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet launched a consultation asking people what changes they wanted made.

She said limiting ugly billboards was a central part of the Grenelle environmental agreement and added: “These new rules will finally put a stop to the slow degradation of our urban and suburban landscapes, improving the environment and the image of our towns.”

Ms Kosciusko-Morizet said they would standardise the size of billboards, their height and their maximum density, as well as regulating their energy consumption to stop light nuisance. Only one billboard every 80m will be allowed on the way in to towns.

The proposals partially legalise the giant advertising hoardings on the sides of buildings undergoing renovation.

The minister said she was acting so that proper regulations would be in place for new advertising techniques such as electronic billboards and also ready for developments to come.

Councils would also be able to introduce measures that were more severe than the national limits, although only after a public inquiry.

Ms Kosciusko-Morizet has asked people to put their thoughts on the website of the Ministère du Développement Durable. Find out more about the consultation here and have your say here. The consultation is open until March 11.