Concerns have been raised that a council’s introduction of digital advertisement screens could contribute to unhealthy eating.
Digital advertisement screens were approved for various locations across the Wokingham Borough back in September and were installed this month.
Some 20 electronic display signs have been put in place at seven bus shelters across the borough, including Reading Road, Wokingham town centre and Molly Millars Lane.
While the design is electronic, Wokingham Borough Council says they are more sustainable, with planted green roofs or solar panels.
While they are managed by an external company Trueform, the council is recieving some of the share of advertising income.
But concerns have been raised about the type of advertisements displayed.
Wokingham resident Helen Palmer told the borough council’s climate emergency overview and scrutiny committee on February 25 its advertising sponsorship is ‘inadequate’ and cannot control what is being displayed.
Ms Palmer said given the council’s committment to addressing the climate emergency, it should adopt a policy to ban adverts displaying high fat, sugar and salt foods.
The resident said this has already been implemented by other councils across the country, such as Sheffield, as well as Transport For London.
Chairwoman of the committee Catherine Glover said the council is currently working on a new advertising policy.
The Liberal Democrat added that all ads must adhere to the codes of conduct in the most recent advertising regulations.
In her supplementary question, Ms Palmer said it is ‘important’ for Wokingham residents to have an ‘ethical’ advertisement policy.
She questioned the progress of plans mentioned by Cllr Glover, as her and other campaigners had been told plans first began in April 2024.
Environmental campaigners had previously opposed the plans, arguing it would be an ‘eyesore’ and look ‘incongruous’ with the historic market town.
Rona Topaz from Ad Block Reading and Wokingham told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in September: “Digital screens in general are environmentally unfriendly, they use a lot of energy. It basically not only causes light pollution, the heat generated can actually damage the environment.”
When approving the scheme, Wokingham Borough Council’s planning committee said the adverts could not be lit up between midnight and 5am.
Trueform also said that the screens have ‘ambient lighting control’, meaning that they automatically dim when light levels are lower, becoming ‘minimally’ lit in the dark.
The new digital panels are as ‘cost efficient as possibke’ due to using a lower consumption of energy, according to Trueform.
Environmental health officers did not raise any objections to the plans.
The electronic screens were implemented earlier this month after a period of delay.
