DEVON has moved forward with a notional side-hustle that could earn it some extra cash.

Plans have been submitted to install sponsorship boards on 14 of Exeter’s roundabouts as part of an overall strategy for the county that seeks to earn money via street furniture and roundabouts.

Devon County Council, which is the authority that oversees the county’s highways, has submitted the plans to Exeter City Council, which is in charge of planning applications.

The plans, submitted this week, include proposals for “sponsorship signs” on roundabouts across the city, including at Ambassador Drive/Emperor Way, Bad Homburg Way/Yeoford Way/Martford Park Road, Burnthouse Lane/Chestnut Avenue and Hill Barton Road Heritage Road/Hill Barton Road.

The county council first agreed in 2022 that it wanted to improve its efforts to earn money from the likes of roundabout advertising boards.

Cabinet papers from November 2022 show the council’s approach to sponsoring roundabouts “varies in approach across the county” and “isn’t well understood or marketed”.

“Devon has a large and varied highway asset and could secure additional income to assist in general service delivery if this was pursued in a better managed way,” the report stated.

“It is not the intent to proliferate the county with obtrusive signage but merely formalise and bring a greater level of consistency to how the current offer is managed.

“The current approach has been focused on offsetting the maintenance associated with the relevant roundabout and charge a flat fee of £398 per annum for sponsorship.”

It’s not clear what price businesses and organisations would be charged to advertise on the Exeter roundabouts if the plans are approved. The £398 figure comes from 2022, meaning inflation is likely to have pushed this up.

Devon County Council issued a tender bid for the scheme in November last year, with the value of the contract being more than £2.2 million.

A spokesperson for the county council said: “There is no cost to the council and this does create income.

“Proposals cover roundabouts throughout Devon.”

The firm behind the 14 Exeter planning applications is named as CP Media, however, it has just rebranded to Outdo.

The firm claims to be the “UK leader in roundabout sponsorship” on its website.

The company says it works “in partnership with a growing portfolio of councils”.

“If your council is experiencing budget cuts and continual reductions in staff numbers, you may be uncertain about implementing new sponsorship schemes,” it states.

“That’s why we offer to do all the work for you — even applying for planning permission for sites if required.

“The income generated can be used for a variety of purposes, — such as maintenance of local services — helping to bridge the gap caused by loss of funding.”