Press release

Consultation launched into advertising and trading in open spaces at London 2012 Olympic Paralympic Games events

Plans for temporary restrictions to advertising and trading in open spaces directly around the competition venues during the Olympic Games

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Plans for temporary restrictions to advertising and trading in open spaces directly around the competition venues during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, have been published for consultation today by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The consultation sets out proposals on the management of advertising and trading in open spaces within a few hundred metres around the Olympic and Paralympic venues and road race routes. They will apply for a limited time when competition at the venues is taking place.

Billboard advertising, posters, flyers, giveaways, projected advertising, moving and aerial advertising will all be covered by the regulations. Standard shop signage and in store advertising will be exempt. Traders wishing to trade in a regulated area will need to apply to the Olympic Delivery Authority to be considered for a free secondary licence.

Sponsorship is to contribute over half of the £2 billion budget needed to stage the Games along with broadcasting rights, ticket sales and merchandise. The regulations will prevent ambush marketing and unauthorised trading near Games venues, helping to protect sponsors’ investment and ensuring a welcoming environment for spectators.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said:

“Sponsorship is part of modern international sport providing a vital source of funding. Like many other sporting events, the London Olympic and Paralympic Games could not go ahead without its sponsors so it is important that we protect their investment as well as creating a welcoming and unobtrusive atmosphere for people arriving at venues.

“The measures we are proposing are in line with those used at all Olympics since Sydney 2000 and will apply to a small area around venues and only around the time events are taking place. They aim to strike the right balance between preventing unauthorised advertising and trading that damage the rights of the sponsors and enabling businesses to operate as usual.”

Officers designated by the Olympic Delivery Authority will be responsible for enforcing the regulations and a light touch approach that is proportionate to the type of offence will be taken wherever possible. The approach will be in line with the Better Regulation Executive policy on Enforcement. 

The venues and routes affected by the legislation in London are: Earls Court, the ExCel, Greenwich Park, Horse Guards Parade, Hyde Park, Lord’s Cricket Ground, North Greenwich Arena 1, the Olympic and Paralympic marathon routes, Olympic Park, Olympic race walk route, Olympic and Paralympic road cycling routes, Olympic time trial route, Olympic triathlon run and cycle routes, Royal Artillery Barracks Woolwich, Wembley Arena, Wembley Stadium, and Wimbledon.

Outside London the following venues are affected: Broxbourne, Coventry Stadium, Eton Dorney, Hadleigh Farm (Essex), Hampden Park, Millennium Stadium, Old Trafford, St James’s Park, Weymouth and Portland and the outer London sections of the Olympic and Paralympic road cycling routes and Olympic time trial route.

Notes to Editors

  1. Draft regulations being consulted on will run until 30 May 2011.

  2. The main areas the consultation seeks views on are:   * Whether we have been clear in explaining what we intend is caught by the restrictions and how we intend to deal with any breaches; * Whether the proposals we’ve made for the areas affected by the regulations and the duration they apply are reasonable.

  3. The Government will consult separately on the Olympic time trial and Paralympic road race once the routes for these events have been finalised.

  4. It is a requirement of the International Olympic Committee host city contract that measures are in place to prevent ambush marketing and unauthorised street trading at Games time.

  5. The power to make advertising and trading regulations was introduced by the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006.

  6. There is existing legislation regulating advertising and trading. The new regulations are tailored to the 2012 Games, adding a level of consistency to the existing controls and providing for infringements to be dealt with quickly.

  7. Advertisers and traders were given notice in June 2009 of the general nature of the regulations and informed that there would be a consultation.

  8. Temporary restrictions will not impact on the rights of individuals to freely express their opinions by means of peaceful protest. Posters displayed inside someone’s home will not breach the regulations.

  9. The North Greenwich Arena 1 is currently known as the “O2 arena”.

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Published 8 March 2011