After speaking to several angry business operators at his surgeries last Friday, Alan Reid has written to the Council urging them to withdraw their threat to remove signs for businesses on the A85 and A828 trunk roads.

Although the Council have suspended the immediate issue of enforcement notices, the threat of losing their signs is still hanging over a large number of small businesses.

Alan Reid said,
“The Council should remove this threat that is hanging over many small businesses. They should also withdraw their proposal for composite signs at the entrances to villages with the names of all the village businesses on them. Such signs would be cluttered and passing motorists would not be able to take in all the information. These signs would not give directions to businesses which is the main purpose of the existing signs.

“One local businessman told me that he felt the Council is blackmailing him by telling him that, unless he removes his own sign, his business will not be advertised on the proposed village composite sign.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of the Argyll & Bute economy. I have written to the Council saying this and urged them to remove this threat to local businesses. Without their signs, small businesses would lose a lot of passing trade.

“If the Council succeed in removing all the signs on the A85 and A828, I’ve no doubt that they will do the same on the other roads in Argyll & Bute”.