Edinburgh set to extend A-board ban to include election day
Politicians say it’s ‘right and proper’ they should be covered by ban like everyone else
The long-standing practice of parties placing A-boards outside polling stations on election day looks set to end in Edinburgh amid concern about obstruction and politicians exempting themselves from a city-wide ban.
A-boards and other temporary on-street advertising structures have been banned in the city since 2018, but the ban has not been enforced on polling day.
When the council's transport and environment committee confirmed the ban at their September meeting, SNP councillor Neil Gardiner said: “If we are banning them in daily use, the same should apply to us as to retail outlets.”
Now councillors are being asked if the use of A-boards on election day should be banned as well.
A report by officials says there were a number of complaints at the Scottish Parliament elections in May this year about the positioning of A-boards and accessibility to polling stations.
Issues included an A board placed in front of the disabled access door button at the Walpole Hall on Chester Street and A-boards obstructing the pavement outside Granton Parish Church.
"In addition, A-boards became targets for vandalism. Several were damaged, stolen or had paint thrown on them."
The report presents councillors with three options - keep the current position where the ban is not enforced on polling day; extend the enforcement of the A-board ban to include polling day, so that candidates would not be permitted to put up A-boards outside polling stations; or allow a carefully sited board or lamppost wrap at each polling station to highlight the location and increase public awareness.
The Edinburgh Access Panel has described A-boards outside polling stations as "unnecessary pavement clutter" which risked obstructing pedestrians, especially those with a visual impairment or mobility difficulties. It said election A-boards should be banned with all other A-boards.
And RNIB Scotland also backed a ban, saying the A-boards were a potential hazard for blind and partially sighted people. And it warned an exemption for political parties on election day could undermine the ban itself.
Green equalities spokesperson Alys Mumford said: "We've all seen the chaos that A-boards can cause on polling day - prams and wheelchairs pushed into the road, boards buckling under high winds, and certain parties completely disrespecting the rules and placing them in ridiculous locations.
"Edinburgh's A-board ban has been hailed as good practice, and we should be looking to improve enforcement, and expand it, rather than create loopholes. Greens believe that improving accessibility should be prioritised over the interests of political parties, so we will be supporting enforcement of the ban on polling day."
And Lib Dem transport spokesman Kevin Lang also supported a ban. He said: "Given the decision that's been to ban A-boards across the city, it's right and proper that when it comes to elections we follow the times.
"It's important that the council looks at what officers can do in terms of lampposts and posters to make sure people are reminded to vote on election day because I think these things do help to raise the profile of elections, but clearly not right that people with access issues have their access to voting hindered and I think that will be the consensus on Thursday."
Cllr Lang acknowledged some sadness at the disappearance of A-boards. "There's something quite sentimental for me about A-boards - it has been a longstanding tradition. You were able to put some last-minute messaging on A-boards. I think it did help just to raise the profile of the election on election day."
But he admitted: "I don't think I ever came out of an election thinking we'd won it because of our A-boards at the polling station and I never lost an election thinking 'If only we'd had better A-boards'."