Lance Beckwith is one of many High Street business owners angry about a recent Casey Council decision to remove advertising signs from outside their shop-fronts.
By Callan Date
HIGH Street traders are furious with a recent Casey Council decision to enforce the removal of advertising signs from their shop-fronts.
Business owners along the Cranbourne shopping strip were only given seven days to remove one-metre signs they say are a vital part of their operation.
Further enraging traders is the lack of action from council on a High Street parking problem that is driving customers away from the area.
Lance Beckwith has owned and operated Superclean Dry Cleaners in High Street for 21 years and said his advertising sign had never posed a problem.
“I have been here for more than 20 years and my sign has never hurt anyone nor has it ever been a safety risk for people walking past the shop,” Mr Beckwith said.
“I just can’t believe it and sometimes it feels like the council are just trying to make it hard for businesses in the area.”
He said it was hard enough to make money operating a small business without mindless bureaucratic officials enforcing petty local laws.
“The advertising board is a major way of letting customers know that we are open and not allowing the display of the sign is really going to hurt us.”
Mr Beckwith said Casey Council had told him they would change parking in front of the shops to a 15-minute zone but nothing had been done.
“They said last August they were going to do something in regards to short term parking but they are yet to do a thing.”
Other High Street traders also expressed their anger at the council decision to remove advertising signs.
Several said they believed the council should focus on more important issues.
Woops A Daisy Florist manager Pauline Cargill said the lack of short-term parking in front of her store made it impossible for customers to park.
“People will park their car out the front for a couple of hours and this insures a lot of potential customers just keep driving on,” Ms Cargill said.
“It is almost not worth opening the store on a Saturday because it’s that hard to get a park.”
Balloon & Party Centre owner Julie Marriott said she was disappointed by the attitude of the council regarding the advertising sign, especially the way the officer had approached her.
“A lady came into the store with no identification and told me I could no longer display my sign out the front without a permit,” Ms Marriott said.
“I didn’t do anything after the verbal warning but two days later I received an official letter telling me that I had seven days to move my sign.”
A City of Casey spokes-person was unavailable for comment before the News went to press.
