Designer wants clutter busters'

Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

An urban taskforce - similar to food inspectors - should patrol Auckland's shopping strips to remove needless signs and "clutter" from footpaths and verandas, says the new council's first urban design manager.

Ludo Campbell-Reid, previously Auckland City's urban design champion, wants "clutter-busters" employed to police commercial banners, signs and "street furniture" - lamp-posts, poles, bollards, guardrails, traffic signs and road markings.

The idea has been tested in Eden Valley, Dominion Rd, Balmoral, Mt Roskill and Mt Albert. There, owners of small businesses removed signs but franchise stores, banks, travel and real estate agents and Labour MP David Shearer held firm.

Auckland City Council's manager for service requests, Christopher Horan, says Mr Shearer's office signs in Mt Albert "appear to breach sign bylaws" and he will investigate.

The MP's office believes it is following the rules.