Control of Advertisements
Local Planning Authorities are responsible for
the control of advertisements. They are required to consider
applications for permission to display them and to exercise
enforcement powers over existing and unlawful advertisements.
What is an advertisement?
- Posters and Notices
- Placards and Boards
- Fascia signs and projection signs
- Pole signs and canopy signs
- Models and devices
- Advanced signs and direction signs
- Estate agents boards
- Captive balloon advertisements
- Flag advertisements
- Price markers and price displays
- Traffic signs
- Town and village name
signs
Note: Memorials and railway signals are not
regarded as advertisements
Do I need advertisement consent?
There are three groups of advertisement for
which differing planning rules apply.
- Advertisements which are exempt from
control.
- Advertisements which have 'deemed consent'
(meaning that permission is not needed provided you stay within
certain rules).
Regulations allow for certain advertisements to be displayed
without needing a specific application. This is "deemed consent"
but to take advantage of its provisions you need to abide by
certain conditions. If you can't fit into one of the classes
(listed within the regulations) then you will need to contact the
Council’s Development Control team
- Advertisements for which an application is
always needed (known as “express consent”).
You usually need consent for virtually all hoardings, illuminated
signs, facia signs and projecting signs on shop-fronts or business
premises which are higher than 4.6m above ground level, as well as
most advertisements on gable ends. You also need permission for
signs advertising goods not sold at the premises where the sign is
being displayed.
The standard conditions in the regulations for all
advertisements is that they are kept clean and tidy and in a safe
condition. They must have the permission of the site owner
including the Council on highway land. They must not block the view
of road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs and they must not be so
permanent that they cannot be removed if required.
Pre-application Advice
The Council has introduced a chargeable Pre-application Advice
service which is designed to provide consistent, quality advice on
proposed developments.
For more information on the Pre-application Advice service
including fees for non-householder proposals and the Customer
Charter, see the Pre-application Advice
and Charges page.
Return to
Development Control page
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