for happier, healthier cities
An application for a large digital billboard on Muller Road, Bristol, has been refused. (Bristol planning application number: 26/12005/A) A big thank you to everyone who objected via the council’s online portal and shared it around. There were at least 41 formal objections from residents. One less advertising hoarding is always a win for Adblock…Continue reading Billboard? More like nilboard! A win from Bristol
With local elections happening across the UK on 7 May 2026, we’re looking for motivated volunteers to secure pledges from candidates to restrict harmful advertising if elected. As an Election Champion, you will be supported by the Adfree Cities team to contact local candidates where you live and ask them to sign the Adfree Cities…Continue reading 2026 local elections: Will your candidates sign the Adfree Cities Pledge?
Manchester City Council have issued a discontinuance notice against three billboards in Manchester. What that means is that the council have essentially removed planning permission for the billboards, and ordered the billboards’ owners – City Outdoor Media – to take them down. …Continue reading Manchester council wins case to remove billboards
The ‘death of the high street’ is never far from the political agenda. Recent research from Southampton University found that people feel high streets have declined more than any other part of their local area over the past decade and that this is impacting on who they will be voting for. The current government’s Pride…Continue reading Why are the government so worried about our high streets and how can restricting advertising help?
For us at Adfree Cities, reducing outdoor advertising is all about creating happier, healthier communities, and giving local people – not distant corporations – more say over what their neighbourhoods look and feel like. So we are very pleased to see the government’s new Pride in Place Strategy target exactly this: putting communities in control…Continue reading Does outdoor advertising make you feel proud of your neighbourhood?
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. …Continue reading What does advertising have to do with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill?