Issue details

Purpose of Report: Prior to the ending of the current bus shelter advertising contract with JC Decaux, the council conducted an independent market appraisal to understand the value of place based advertising across the city.

This provided several additional opportunities the council will explore at a later date.
In the meantime, the market appraisal provided sufficient information for the council to negotiate a new 15-year contract with JC Decaux, providing and maintaining bus shelters with either no advertising, paper adverts or digital adverts, and digital information panels, subject to the necessary planning consents.

In tandem, The council’s Public Health team have been working on a number of policies which promote a health food environment in York; this is in line with the city’s ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy Weight Policy’, and the ‘Local Government Declaration on Health Weight’ which the council signed in 2019.

In addition a strong body of research evidence suggests that tackling the advertising and marketing environment is a valid and necessary policy to support a healthy weight in our population. One of the areas which the council is able to directly influence is the types of adverts that are shared on council land. This has informed a refresh of the council’s advertising policy that forms part of the JC Decaux contract.

The Executive are invited to:

i.                 Note the independent market appraisal and the potential revenue opportunities from place-based advertising;

ii.                Approve the direct award of a new 15-year (plus a possible 1-year extension) bus shelter advertising and digital information board concession contract to JC Decaux and delegate authority to negotiate and conclude the new concession contract (and the provisions of any subsequent modifications and/or extensions thereto) to the Director Public Health in consultation with the Head of Procurement and the Director of Governance;

iii.              Approve the council’s advertising policy embedded into the bus shelter and digital information board contract.