Fulham FC’s Controversial Advertisements Near West London Park to Remain Despite Public Outcry

Fulham FC Banners Remain Despite Local Concerns

Banners promoting Fulham FC, installed in proximity to a West London park, will remain in place despite significant opposition from local residents. These banners are part of a larger installation consisting of 36 commercial advertisements that have been placed in and around the Grade II-listed Bishops Park. The Hammersmith and Fulham Council has already put up 12 non-illuminated double-sided banners along Stevenage Road, which borders the park, and plans to add five more in this area.

Additionally, 18 banners have been positioned within Bishops Park itself, many of which highlight the new Fulham Pier development. On Tuesday, July 7, the Planning and Development Committee approved two separate planning applications for the advertisements, despite receiving hundreds of objections from the community.

Local Residents Voice Their Concerns

Marc Medina, a resident of the Bishops Park area for three decades, expressed his discontent to the local authority, stating that the advertisements have altered the character of the green space. “For 133 years, people have come to Bishops Park for its openness, tranquillity, its historic landscape and distinctive civic character. Today, for the first time, that experience has changed,” he remarked during the committee meeting. “Visitors from Bishops Road, Stevenage Road, or Putney Bridge are immediately confronted by commercial advertising promoting a single private development. Those advertisements are present throughout the entire length of the park.”

The advertisements within the park stand at 1.6 metres in height and 0.6 metres in width, whereas the banners along Stevenage Road are slightly larger, measuring 2.2 metres high and 0.785 metres wide. The planning applications for both Bishops Park and Stevenage Road garnered 164 and 95 objections, respectively.

Council’s Justification for the Advertisements

A council case officer provided commentary on the first application, asserting that “the design, size, and siting of the advertisements are considered acceptable in terms of visual amenity and do not detrimentally impact the residential amenities of neighbouring properties or highway safety.” Furthermore, the officer stated that the banner advertisements help to preserve the character and appearance of the Bishops Park conservation area, along with the registered historic park and garden, without causing harm to the settings or significance of adjacent designated and non-designated heritage assets.

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