Adverts to tower over M6
Monday 23rd February 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
The biggest advertising board in Britain is being built close to a busy stretch of the M6 in the Black Country.
Walsall Football Club won permission to build the illuminated hoarding close to Banks’s Stadium, claiming it will safeguard 300 jobs and raise vital funds for the club.
Metal frames for the giant 75ft structure now dominate the skyline between junctions 8 and 9 on the southbound carriageway, adding to many other hoardings in the area.
Roy Whalley, chief executive of Walsall FC, said the club was making a substantial investment in the project.
“It’s a very important project for the club in that we hope it will bring in additional income in to help sustain football in Walsall,” he said.
“It will help to protect the jobs of around 300 people who work at Walsall FC. It will be regarded as a landmark for the town.”
Planning permission was granted in January last year, despite objections from the Highways Agency that it would distract motorists on the M6 each day.
Pleck’s Councillor Dennis Anson said the hoarding would be a monstrosity
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SO were all going to be stuck in heavy traffic, and looking at a huge picture of i dunno lets say some half dressed woman promoting perfume, people eye’s will be off the road and it’ll cause accidents, and they’ll blame the divers off course. huge waste of money in my view, there’s enough advertising on the radio, backs of buses, lorry’s, so what next ???? makes you think doesn’t it hummmmmmm…
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You need your wits about you on today’s roads at the best of times.
This junction is particularly busy without any additional distractions.
It would appear that road safety (and hence lives) are taking second place to a football club making profits.
Shame on whoever passed this lunatic plan !
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At a time when spending in advertising, especially display advertising, this move isn’t that shrewd. This could be one big white elephant.
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I think it is wrong to justify this hoarding on the basis that it will keep Walsall FC in business.
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I like Phil’s idea of having a big white elephant statue put there. It would be the Black Country#s version of the Angel of the North. Good on ya Phil!
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who ever passed this was proberly (A) not a driver (B) out of area (C) totaly lost the plot
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What WFC fail to understand is the impact this monstrosity will have on the televisions and radios of the homes nearby plus hundreds of birds will probably run into it at night.
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well, they should not be driving on wfc car park should they
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How am I supposed to watch the cars going by from my seat in the Floors to Go when the game gets boring with that thing in the way?
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The council would have been acting illegally if they gave permission for this monstrosity in order to help Walsall Football Club. They had to determine that the hoarding was in keeping with the established development policies of the council. Also in the interests of the council-taxpayer they should have asked for a 106 payment before granting permission.
Presumably they will be unable to refuse applications for similar signs along the whole length of the motorway as it passes through Walsall.
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Well, how many of you objected to the plans, or did you not see them or here about them? funny that as a similar thing was thrown out for junction 9 (I think it was that one) all for a huge company to do with Opus 9 it was an eyesaw, a blot on the ladscape and a danger for drivers, surely the money could have been spent on something better, as for Floors to go I can see your job going if all you do is watch the match….. how sad !! and to admit it well beggers belief, Can’t see floors to go lasting either with the recession now they know how ‘busy’ you are. The other was a Gateway To Sandwell, this is a Gateway to Hell
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To all those in favour of it, how would you like to be looking at it from your home? No I thought not! Well I have no choice and like many others on our estate knew nothing of it till it was starting to be built! I’m dreading it being finished and lit up at night, at least I may be able to save on light bulbs! If we had known anything about this hoarding it would have certainly been opposed, just like we still oppose the Opus 9 Sandwell Gateway, but at least they gave us the common curtosy of knowing about it in advance. I’d rather have kept the six smaller boards that this monstrosity is supposed to replace, at least they don’t tower above the roof tops! Does no one consider anyone else’s feelings these days or are we truly turning into the nation of self, self, self?
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As if the traffic isnt slow enough, now its going to get more snarlled up, How stupid and irresponsable is walsall football club.
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