Here are the words of James from Bath Spartan Dodgeball club which can be found on their online petition:
We want BANES to allow us to advertise on Churchill Bridge in Bath, England freely.
Why is this important?
Wanting to apply the correct and formal way we filled in an advertising consent application form only to be rejected because we had not paid £385 to submit the application. We are a non-profit community sports club promoting an active lifestyle and should not and will not pay such an astronomical amount of money to submit an application to advertise (this won’t be refunded if we are rejected) To provide some context to the £385 figure – this would pay for 13 sessions of dodgeball.
After appealing to several members of the BANES planning department and to their seniors at the Department of Communities and Local Government we have decided a petition is our best way forward.
Some direct quotes from members of the council and government that have dismissed us:
“Bath council are currently removing banners because they look untidy, so the chance of your application getting approved is slim”
“Planning laws have been in place for hundreds of years and probably will be for hundreds more”
If you believe a fee of £385 to submit an application to advertise a non profit community sports club is unjust and that we should be allowed to advertise freely please sign below. Many thanks Bath and Bristol Spartans Dodgeball Club.
So if you feel that this sports club should be able to advertise their sessions on Churchill Bridge for free, as a non-profit organisation, then please take the time to sign their petition.