What does advertising have to do with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill?

You may have heard about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently going through Parliament – it covers everything from how we plan local areas, to building more homes for those who need them, and restoring nature across the country.

However, many campaigners fear the Bill will actually take away existing environmental protections and that it risks weakening local democracy and silencing the voices of councils and communities who will be most affected, all in the name of unfettered and unquestioned growth. 

For us, the Bill is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen planning rules for new ad spaces like billboards, to empower councils and local communities to block new ads from being installed, and to protect our neighbourhoods from intrusive corporate advertising.

Why do Adfree Cities care about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill?

If the Government want to create new towns, estates and places for people to live and work, these should not include outdoor advertising. The impact of outdoor ads on the look and feel of a neighbourhood, on people’s mental health, and on their behaviours and choices should be recognised in planning rules and new ad screens should not be built. 

There is also a concern that the voices of local communities will be lost in the planning process. We believe that those of us who live in our communities and walk down the streets every day should have a say in what we see in our communities. Maybe we would rather have trees and green spaces, local community art, and places to stop and sit, instead of commercial ads blocking pavements and shining unhealthy products into our homes. 

What is Adfree Cities doing about it?

Getting involved in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is an important milestone in our national policy work.

We

• responded to the consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework making the case for reform to advertising rules,
• submitted evidence to the Bill Committee, and
• we supported Carla Denyer MP to introduce an amendment to the Bill which would increase the grounds for refusing new digital ad screens, to include their impact on the environment and public health. This amendment was selected for debate and has been raised in the House of Commons with a positive response. Watch the video here.

We will continue to push for change as the Bill and the amendment progress through Parliament.

As the Bill now moves to the House of Lords we hope that there will also be support for the amendment and what this means for local communities.  See update blog on amendment laid in the Lords here (September 2025).