BUSINESS leaders have joined councillors in targeting the uncontrolled use of A-boards in Weymouth town centre.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council wants to clamp down on the number of advertising boards cluttering the pavement and getting in the way of shoppers.

Traders who place boards in the way of pushchairs, wheelchair users and the visually impaired will have the boards taken away if they ignore a new set of guidelines.

The move comes a year after a row between the council and businesses about the use of boards in the town centre.

A compromise was reached but only after the council had seized 61 A-boards from the pavement during a daytime raid.

The new guidelines have been drawn up with the co-operation of local business leaders and Weymouth and Portland Access Group.

Councillor Doug Hollings, briefholder for environment and sustainability, said: "We want to make sure that the town centre and other retail areas across the borough are accessible and welcoming to everyone, including people using pushchairs and wheelchairs.

"We will be giving businesses a reasonable amount of time to make sure they comply with the guidelines and remove any boards that could cause a hazard.

"I hope that local traders will support this approach and work with us to improve the situation."

He said A-boards would still be allowed in places where the pavement is wide enough or if the business has a 'sitting out' licence.

Bernard Bryer, secretary of Weymouth and Portland Access Group, said: "The Access Group wholeheartedly supports the council's new guidelines for the use of A-boards.

"Our members have great difficulty in negotiating badly-placed, pavement-obstructing A-boards and remedial action has been one of our main priorities."

The council will this week send a letter to all businesses outlining the measures. They include a new reference to the need for planning consent in some cases.

It will tell businesses that if the new guidelines are not followed then the boards will be removed.

Andy Cooke, president of Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, said: "Clearly, uncontrolled use of A-boards has a detrimental effect on the town centre environment and poses a potential access hazard to many members of the public.

"Clear guidelines explained to the local business community which are subsequently enforced will ensure that those businesses that are prepared to break the rules will not benefit from trading advantage over the vast majority."