A Pitshanger Lane shop owner has refused to pay Ealing Council’s new £175 annual charge for displaying an A-board on the pavement, instead hanging her board on the wall outside her business.
Belinda Harrison, owner of Harrison’s Vintners & Delicatessen, has become the latest independent trader to object to the charge, which was introduced by Labour-run Ealing Council in April 2026.
Ms Harrison established the independent wine and deli shop on Pitshanger Lane in 2010.
A blackboard now hanging outside the shop reads: “I’m not paying Ealing Council £175 to put my blackboard on the pavement! I already pay £2.1k business rates so I’ll hang it on my wall!”
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Ms Harrison said: “Not content with trying to ruin business on Pitshanger Lane with their new parking regulations, Ealing Council now want businesses to fork out a further £175 per year just to display an A board outside.
“This is on top of our business rates for which we get absolutely nothing in return. Factor in the cost of employing a task force to police this new licence and you wonder what’s the point?”
The protest follows an EALING.NEWS story last month (26 August 2026) which revealed opposition from businesses across the borough to the new licensing scheme. Until April, businesses did not have to apply for a licence or pay to display an A-board.
Bossa Nova Cafe in South Ealing said it would get rid of its A-board rather than pay the charge, saying independent businesses were already being hit by rising costs and it would instead use its shop window to advertise specials and events.
Declan Walsh, owner of Poets Winebar on Greenford Avenue in Hanwell, also questioned the charge. Mr Walsh, whose business pays around £8,000 a year in business rates, said on Facebook: “What do I actually pay business rates for?”
An Ealing Council spokesperson previously told EALING.NEWS: “The requirement for businesses to obtain a licence for advertising boards on the public highway forms part of the council’s wider approach to ensuring pavements remain safe and accessible for everyone.
“Businesses were informed in February that licensing for A-boards would be required from April 2026.
“A licence is only required for A-boards placed on the public highway. Boards on a private forecourt, that forms part of a business’s premises, do not require a licence. The annual fee is £175 per board and helps cover the cost of administering and enforcing the scheme.”
On how the new charge was approved, an Ealing Council said: “The A-board licence was discussed in the High Streets Task Force and subsequently it was agreed under delegated officer powers to roll this out from April 2026.”
Under the council’s conditions, A-boards can be no larger than 1,000mm high, 500mm wide and 650mm deep. A clear and unobstructed footway of usually at least 3.5 metres must remain in town centres and two metres on other streets.
At the time of EALING.NEWS’ August report, the council had not clarified whether there was a grace period between the introduction of the new licensing requirement in April and the follow-up letters sent to businesses in August.
On enforcement, Ealing Council told EALING.NEWS: “The business may receive a fixed penalty notice which, if left unpaid, may result in prosecution. For persistent non-compliance above and beyond what has been explained, additional steps may be considered.”
At the time, the council had also not confirmed to EALING.NEWS the amount of the fixed penalty notice.
Research by EALING.NEWS found that rules and charges for A-boards vary considerably between London councils.
Hammersmith & Fulham charges £275, Harrow £213 and Kingston £170 for a new licence, while Bexley’s current application form lists £73 per board.
Hounslow uses a different system, with A-boards covered by street-trading licensing. Its 2026/27 fees include a £125.46 application charge plus £55.08 per square metre.
Westminster does not authorise A-boards on the public highway. Its published enforcement policy says businesses can receive a £100 fixed penalty notice, reduced to £50 if paid within 10 calendar days.
Councillor Julian Gallant, leader of Ealing Conservatives, described the new charge as “another tax on businesses in physical premises, already in heavy competition with online trading”.
He added: “Ealing’s Labour leadership needs to empathise with the Borough’s SMEs, provide help wherever possible and minimise regulation. Charging for A-boards is just going to make life a bit harder. We will be strongly opposing this new measure.”
