PAVEMENT clutter is set to be banned from key areas of the district for a year-long trial, after a lengthy campaign by disability groups.

Advertising A-boards and shop pavement displays would be banned from many public pavements under the trial.

The move has been hailed as a victory by local blind and partially-sighted people, who say pavement clutter makes getting about especially hard for them.

Tariq Ahmed, of Heaton, who has been blind from birth and uses a cane, said it was embarrassing to stumble over an A-board and could easily knock people's confidence about going out.

He said: "It's about who's seeing you bump into something. It could be a member of your family, it could be a close friend. They ask, 'Are you okay?'

"It's that embarrassment."

Paul Parfitt, of the Holme Wood VIP (Visually Impaired Person's) group, said: "For those with other disabilities - wheelchairs and sticks and what-have-you - it would be a lot better for them."

And Paul Robinson, also of the Holme Wood VIP group, said the move would have the added benefit of making Bradford look tidier.

He said: "I think Bradford would look a lot better without those grotty A-boards. I think it would look a much nicer city."

But a traders' group has said it is "really disappointed" by the proposal.

Val Summerscales, secretary of the Bradford and District Chamber of Trade, said: "It is very disappointing that they have taken this stance. As usual, Bradford Council's timing is impeccable, with the opening of Westfield, which will probably take a lot of trade down to the bottom end, because the other areas of the city centre need to promote that they are trading."

Mrs Summerscales said there were already rules in place about the use of A-boards, and the chamber fully supported the council taking action against those who flouted them.

But she said a blanket ban would also penalise traders who acted responsibly.

The trial ban looks set to get the go-ahead by the Council's decision-making Executive next Tuesday.

It would cover Bradford city centre, Saltaire, Ilkley and Leeds Road in Bradford.

The authority had previously been considering a system where businesses could get a licence to have an A-board, but has now dismissed this idea as being too complicated.

Councillor Val Slater, deputy leader of the council, said: "The Council is trying to strike a balance between creating a safe environment for people with limited vision or mobility, and businesses wanting to advertise their services.

"Pavement obstructions add to the existing clutter of the modern street scene and cause unnecessary problems for people who can’t avoid them.

"We don’t want to cause problems for businesses but we can’t let the situation stay as it is, and any form of licensing arrangement would be extremely complicated in terms of enforcement and likely to upset both businesses and disabled people."

Before the ban comes into force in January, affected businesses would be contacted.

But shops which owned the pavement outside their premises would be exempt from the new rules.