Southwark Council has issued 49 fines to estate agents in the past two months, in a crack-down on boards left up well past a sale or let is complete.
The scheme, which launched on February 1, sees agents hit with a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of up to £100 if they don’t take their boards down after two weeks.
The council launched the initiative following resident complaints about the clutter the boards create on their streets.
The Council is now reporting a “noticeable decrease” in the “old, decaying boards”, with particular improvements on Mawbey House on the Old Kent Road which had been a board blackspot.
Cllr Mark Williams, cabinet members of regeneration and new homes, stressed that the scheme is not about making money but rather more about ensuring “companies tidy up after themselves.”
“Residents have told us they don’t want to see their streets and estates cluttered with these signs. They look untidy and give a sense of transience, which can be unsettling and create the wrong impression of a community,” he said.
Council officers follow a Code of Practice to ensure FPNs are issued fairly, as well as setting out information on the appeals process.
So far, 21 of the FPNs have been paid and four appeals have been lodged.