I’ll take you to court: LED billboard stoush ramps up
A resident of an upmarket Brisbane suburb has vowed to go to the Supreme Court in a bid to have two giant electronic billboards removed from a high street he says is still dominated “tin and timber”.
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A Paddington resident says he will take Brisbane City Council all the way to the Supreme Court if needed in his fight to stop two giant LED signs locals say is a blight on the area.
Angus McTavish said if Council did not adequately respond to his request for the reasons its officers approved the billboards, on Given and Latrobe terraces, he would launch a judicial review.
Mr McTavish also commissioned an expert architectural report on the massive billboards which concluded they were out of character with the famous “tin and timber’’ feel of the two streets.
He has repeatedly insisted he was unaware either of the two billboards had been approved until work began, even though both are only a few hundred metres from his office.
He has previously said he met with the proponent of the 78 Latrobe Tce sign but told them he did not believe residents would support it.
“I am so concerned about these proposals I commissioned an expert architect, who regularly provides reports on LED billboards, and paid for his report myself,’’ Mr McTavish said.
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“His conclusion that these billboards are out of character with the area is a vindication of what other residents have been saying.
“I have now formally made a request for Council’s statement of reasons for approving the signs.
“If they get back to me (with no reasonable justification) I will ask for a judicial review.’’
The expert report compiled by Leslie Curtis, of Interplan Architects, came to a conclusion completely opposed to a report by GreatSite, consultants for the billboard proponent.
GreatSite concluded the surrounding parts of Latrobe and Given terraces were not of high architectural “character’’ and would not make an appreciable difference to the streetscapes.
But Interplan’s report concluded that the Latrobe Tce sign “represents a relatively significant increase in the size of its (the building on which the sign has been erected) facade’’.
“Its positioning on the roof will change the building’s principal facade appearance and the silhouette of the building envelope.
“It will increase the visual presence of the existing building and accentuate its contrasting form and appearance in relation to the dominant character identity of the streetscape and the general neighbourhood.
“It will also partially obstruct the existing views over the building to the Brisbane CBD
and at night, its illumination will be highly prominent against the dark backdrop of the
night sky.’’
The Interplan report also concluded the Given Tce sign was out of character.
“Both signs will compromise the vistas of the Latrobe Tce streetscape, which through their cohesive character style and street trees would be regarded by most people as demonstrating a high level of scenic amenity for a commercial high street,’’ it said.
