Sandwell Council is consulting on a proposed Code of Conduct for the Display of Goods and Advertising Boards on the Adopted Footway.

Concerns about businesses displaying goods on the footpath outside shop fronts and in some cases along kerbside opposite shops have been long standing as these shop front displays can narrow footways for pedestrians and obscure sight lines, with potential safety hazard for vulnerable people with sight impairments or wheelchairs user.

The proposed code of conduct aims to take a staged approach to dealing with items placed on the adopted footway. By taking this approach, the council wants to ensure the free passage for Sandwell pedestrians along footpaths and the highway and to seek an improvement in the visual street environment.  The code will enable the council to address issues caused by obstructions fairly and consistently.

The consultation opened on Thursday 26 September and will run until Wednesday 11 December 2024. Details of the proposed code of conduct and the consultation are available on the Council's Consultation Hub.

Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, said: “It’s important that we have thriving high streets and town centres that are places where people want to do business.

"But it is equally important that pedestrians, particularly vulnerable pedestrians, are able to get around our streets freely and easily. This is why I would encourage as many residents and businesses as possible to give us their views on these proposals.”