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A landmark ruling made by Hammersmith & Fulham Council marks the end of a three year long residents' campaign against the proliferation of estate agent's boards in their roads and sets a precedent for other local authorities to assume similar control in their boroughs.

All estate agents boards in a select number of the borough's roads will have to be removed before the 27th of November 2006. Failure to do so will result in the council taking down the boards and sending a bill for £150 to the offenders for each one of them.

Under the terms of Regulation 7 (Town & Country Planning Act 1990, Town and Country Planning Regulations, 1992), estate agents will be unable to erect any new board unless express consent has been obtained from the Council.

Practice has shown that in other areas in London where a Regulation 7 is in place, this ruling is tantamount to a blanket ban.

One campaigner said "We have been told that this scheme is a first phase, a pilot scheme for the whole borough together with another 'test area' in Barons Court and will hopefully be extended to the whole of our area."

This historic ruling now paves the way for other local authorities to take more control over the way estate agents boards are displayed in their boroughs.

November 23, 2006