BRECKLAND COUNCIL

BRECKLAND COUNCIL

Advertising Policy

This policy is intended to provide guidelines for all council advertising that appears in publications, on websites, the intranet and associated or other sites e.g. billboards, hoardings, vehicles etc.

It is not an exhaustive list and takes as its start point that all advertising falls within the rules and guidelines laid out by the Advertising Standards Authority and upholds the rules laid out in the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion.

The basic principles of the codes are that advertisements should be:

Legal, decent, honest and truthful
Prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society
In line with the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business and that:
The codes are applied in the spirit as well as the letter.

Advertising should not:

Appear to be designed in whole or in part to affect public support for a political party (section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986, as amended by section 27 of the Local Government Act 1988). When determining whether material falls within the prohibition, the act says regard shall be had to the content, style, timing and other circumstances of the publication. Also the likely effect on those to whom it is directed and:

Whether the material refers to a political party, persons identified with such a party, promotes or opposes a point of view on a question of political controversy which is identifiable as the view of one party and not of another or

Where the material is part of a campaign, the effect which the campaigning appears to be designed to achieve.

In the reasonable opinion of the council, be inappropriate or objectionable

Be likely to subject the council to prosecution

Promote gambling

Promote Weaponry

Refer to tobacco or similar products and

Advertising on highway signage should not refer to alcohol.

Organisations in financial or legal conflict with the Council or who are involved in racial or sexual discrimination or discrimination on the basis of a disability will not have their advertising accepted by Breckland Council.

We reserve the right to refuse advertising in the Council's publications or other material when space is limited by the needs of editorial content or for any other reason without explanation.

When considering advertising, we have regard to whether the information advertised is likely to be of interest to residents and is proper and lawful.