Information for candidates

The days which are disregarded in calculating the timetable are Saturday, Sunday, Good Friday, Easter Monday, bank holidays and any day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.;              

Please be aware that the timetable may change in the event of days being appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.;              

Leeds street lighting columns

Election posters/material will only be allowed on Leeds Street lighting columns subject to the following conditions.              

You are also reminded that whilst you need to make the electorate aware that you are standing for election or are campaigning in the elections, voters expect you to take a responsible approach to this advertising.

1. You may erect posters on street lighting columns (lamp posts), which are under the direct control of the Council only.
2. Posters must not be erected prior to 14 days before the election and must be removed within 14 days of the election or sooner if possible.
3. The Council must be indemnified against any claims arising out of the erection, display, or removal of posters or as a consequence of the erection of posters.
4. You and the person erecting the poster(s) must ensure that the method of access to be used by them is appropriate for the site conditions.
5. Posters are not to be erected within 40 metres of road junctions, roundabouts, traffic signals and pedestrian crossings.
6. The posters must not interfere with any sight lines.
7. Posters will not be erected so as to obscure posters previously erected by opposition parties
8. Posters are not to be erected on a lamp column where a regulatory direction or warning sign is attached.
9. Posters must have at least 2.1m clearance above ground level where they are above a footpath or 2.5m above a cycle way.
10. Posters should be pasted to or printed on "COREX" corrugated plastic (or similar material), which is sturdy and re-usable, but light enough not to cause injury.
11. Posters should be no larger than A3 size (approximately 42cm x 30cm).
12. Posters must be attached to the columns with plastic cable ties.
13. Posters causing a safety hazard or wrongly displayed may be removed by the Authority and the cost of carrying out the removal maybe charged to the candidate. Removed posters will be disposed of as waste.
14. It should be noted that if a column on which a poster has been placed needs to be replaced for maintenance reasons the Authority will not replace that poster.

Election posters/materials will not be allowed as follows:

15. On any street furniture belonging to others (such as, BT poles, Virgin Media Comms boxes etc.) and trees within the highway. Note in relation to trees, for the purposes of this document, the Highway includes footpaths and grass verges adjacent to the Highway.
16. On any Highways Authority apparatus including traffic signs and signals, barrier rails, bridges, and structures.

Highway verges

17. All candidates seeking election may, without specific authority, erect election posters on vacant land under the direct control of the Council and not forming part of any tenancy, lease, licence, or other interest granted by the Council.
18. Posters on grass verges should only be fixed using a small wooden stake that can easily and quickly be pushed into the ground and subsequently removed. No part of the posters should be nearer than 0.5 metres to the face of the kerb.
19. As with street lighting columns, posters on grass verges should not be fixed prior to 14 days before the election and all posters must be removed within 14 days of the election or sooner if possible.
20. The Council must be indemnified against any claims arising out of the erection of posters.
21. Posters can only be erected on grass verges and must not be affixed to any trees by any method other than the circumstances described in sections 28 and 29 below.
22. Posters not to be erected near road junctions, on roundabouts or on cross over points on dual carriageways and must be kept at least 40 metres back from any such junction. A junction is any meeting of roads where a driver has to make a manoeuvre or carry straight on.
23. The posters must not interfere with any sight lines and must not be erected so as to obscure posters previously erected by opposition parties.
24. No posters to go on Highway Authority apparatus including traffic signs and signals, barrier rails, bridges, and structures.
25. Posters not complying with these standard conditions may be removed and the cost of carrying out the removal may be charged to the candidate. Any posters which are removed will be disposed of as waste.

Elections posters/materials on private buildings/property

Election Posters/Materials on private buildings/property will only be allowed subject to the following conditions:              

26. All election posters/materials fixed on private buildings or property will require the consent of the owner and the method of fixing etc. agreed.
27. Any election posters/material should not cause a danger or nuisance to the public including users of the highway.

Private trees on private land

Election posters/materials will only be allowed on trees on private land subject to the following conditions:              

28. All election posters/materials fixed on private property will require the consent of the owner(s) and the method of fixing, etc. agreed.
29. If any posters are to be displayed on trees on private land, they must not be nailed to them, but fixed loosely to the trunks with plastic cable ties to avoid any damage and prevent any action by the Council for wilful damage to trees, particularly those under Tree Preservation Orders.

Election posters/materials or leaflets on or in council buildings and polling stations

30. No information supporting a candidate or party is allowed within or attached to any Council building, for example schools, libraries, community centres etc.

31. Posters or material that might be construed as supporting the views of any of the campaigners involved in the elections must not be displayed in the polling station or on the premises.

Why conditions are applied

Outside of elections the display of placards on highways and street furniture is strictly limited and tightly controlled under Highways and Planning legislation. Significant breaches can be a criminal offence and result in prosecution with the prospect of a fine and criminal record.              

This is because uncontrolled placards and advertising detract from the social fabric of the city in the following ways:               

• they are designed to distract drivers' attention whilst driving
• the Highways Authority owes a duty of care to its users and any subsequent injury, death or accident occurring as a direct or indirect consequence of the use of placards could result in liability
• their general use is not only unsightly, but also attracts copycat advertising
• they are classed as litter when the authority is assessing litter levels.
• placards have occasionally caused direct injuries to pedestrians if they hit them – eye injuries are of most concern
• the ties and wraps used to attach them can remain for many years and again are unsightly and count as litter
• some methods of attachment which have been used can and physically damage street furniture
  

Why are some of these controls relaxed for elections?

It's important that the Council supports a democratic election process and at the same time maintains political neutrality. As such these conditions have been drawn up to help achieve these outcomes whilst at the same time maintaining sensible controls.               

What if I ignore these election conditions?

The Councils first step will be to contact the candidate (or their election agent if appointed) to explain the problem and give 48 hours to remove the offending poster/placard. If the poster/placard is not removed and is on council property/land, the Council will remove it as soon as resources allow and may seek to recover costs from the candidate.              

If the poster/placard presents an immediate danger to public safety the Council reserves the right to remove without prior notification.

All removed posters/placards will be disposed of as waste

In particularly serious cases where a poster/placard is not removed when requested and continues to breach guidance, this may be considered as flyposting. Formal legal action may be pursued if such action is deemed in the public interest. This could involve taking legal proceedings against the beneficiary (i.e., the candidate) under Section 224(3) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Queries or complaints

Any queries on these conditions or complaints should be made to:              

Cleaner Neighbourhoods Team

Email: Environmental.action@leeds.gov.uk              

Telephone: 0113 378 5955

Code of practice

We request that all parties and candidates/agents observe this code to avoid complaints associated with displaying posters/signs near polling stations on polling day.              

• No election poster shall be displayed at any entrance to a polling place. This would include the gates/railings etc., to any such
• No election posters shall be displayed within the curtilage of any polling place. Curtilage is defined as the grounds associated with that building, including any designated car park and access driveways. This also means that no vehicle within the curtilage of the polling station shall display election
• Election poster means any poster or publication designed to promote the election of any candidate and includes chalked messages on pavements
• The Returning Officer (or his staff at the polling station) reserves the right to remove any such posters contravening this

Any instances of a breach of this code should be reported to the Returning Officer by contacting Electoral Services on 0113 378 4419 or emailing electors@leeds.gov.uk              

Tom Riordan Returning Officer