Government's plans to update the 1911 Advertisement Act may be delayed, pending results from a proposed ordinance by the Corporation of Hamilton.

Secretary of the Corporation of Hamilton Roger Sherratt revealed to The Royal Gazette that they had recently presented the Ministry of the Environment with an ordinance.

And while Mr. Sherratt said the document was still in draft form, he noted that it would ultimately serve as "a more strict set of rules that only apply to the City of Hamilton''.

Businesses were taking advantage of vague clauses in the 1911 Advertisements Regulation Act, he said, adding that there were some very unattractive signs in Hamilton.

The regulations in the present Act state that outdoor signs may only state the name of the company and general character of the business in letters no larger than 15 inches.

But Mr. Sherratt said the old Act presented numerous interpretive problems and he stressed "the need for change so that it will apply to modern advertising''.

He pointed out that although there is a regulation on the size of letters on signs, there is no restriction on the size of the signs themselves.

The Act also does not mention whether illustrations on signs are permissible.

Another common problem Mr. Sherratt noted, was the use of flyers that are put on car wind-shields in car parks -- an issue not addressed in the Act.

"Hundreds of sheets are deposited on the ground by people who don't want them and they are left for us to pick up,'' he said.

The Corporation of Hamilton's proposed ordinance also restricts the use of hanging signs.

Mr. Sherratt pointed out that hanging signs were only appropriate in certain areas such as alleys where they are needed for visibility.

The ordinance also suggests different regulations for awnings which have become very popular. And while Mr. Sherratt did not give details on the changes, he stressed that the Corporation did not want to stop advertising and that they understood businesses need to have attractive, eye-catching signs.

"Hamilton is a very special city and the Corporation just wants to assure that Hamilton remains a very attractive place for visitors and locals,'' Mr.

Sherratt said.

If the Environment Ministry approves the ordinance, it will then go to the Chamber of Commerce. And if the members have no major objections, it will be instituted without being brought before the House of Assembly.

Mr. Sherratt said the Corporation of Hamilton had been very pleased with progress that it had made with the ordinance.

The Environment Minister Pamela Gordon had also been very helpful, he added.

While Ms Gordon could not be reached for comment, Environment Permanent Secretary James Burnett-Herkes confirmed that the ordinance would not prevent Government from working toward Island-wide amendments.

But he said the Ministry was pleased with the ordinance and would try the "new approach to let that run for a short while to see how it works''.

After they had seen the results from the Hamilton ordinance, Dr.

Burnett-Herkes said Government would use them to create amendments to the 1911 Advertising Act.

He added that Government hoped to have the ordinance passed quickly and believed that the results would be seen quickly.

And he did not rule out an amended Advertising Act going before the House of Assembly as soon as November.

Concerns regarding advertising signs that do not fit Bermuda's character have been raised both by the Environment Ministry and the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George.

A survey by The Royal Gazette showed that concerns about advertising were not limited to the city of Hamilton.

Because of the ambiguity of the present Act, signs varied from having too many words to having illustrations that some may consider out of character for Bermuda.