Accommodation Knowhow
The Pink Booklet Online

Signs for Your Premises

Key facts

  • If you display any outdoor signs and/or advertisements you may need to apply to the planning authority for consent to display the proposed sign.
  • The need for consent from the planning authority depends on whether signs are fully, partially or non-illuminated and where they are situated.
  • You will also need to ensure that any signs displayed are not misleading, as this could constitute a breach of unfair trading and misleading marketing legislation.
  • The highways department of your local authority can advise on white on brown tourism signs.
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Background

Do the Regulations apply to me?

Yes, if you display any outdoor signs and/or advertisements, you need to comply with: back to top

Planning regulations and permission

The display of all outdoor signs and advertisements is controlled by local planning authorities under the provisions of Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007.

Local planning authorities are required to exercise their powers under the Regulations with regard to amenity and public safety, taking into account relevant development plan policies in so far as they relate to amenity (including both visual and aural amenity) and public safety, as well as any other relevant factors.

These regulations can be complex and you are strongly advised, therefore, to seek the advice of the planning department of your local authority (see Further guidance below) before commissioning and setting up any signs for your premises.

A very brief summary of the regulations is given here.
  • 'Express consent' means that you have to apply to the planning authority for consent to display the proposed sign.
  • 'Deemed consent' means that consent is deemed to have been given by the planning authority and that you do not have to apply for it.

Signs on your premises

Illuminated and non-illuminated signs

  • Fully illuminated signs always require express consent from the planning authority (although this is not normally the case if the sign is displayed inside a window, rather than on the wall or doorway outside).
  • Partially illuminated signs (eg where letters only, and not the background, are illuminated) may not require express consent.
  • Non-illuminated signs can normally be displayed with deemed consent if they are fixed to the building, although there are limitations placed on the height of the sign and on the size of any characters or symbols on it.

Listed Buildings

If your property is a Listed Building, you will always have to obtain Listed Building consent before you put up a sign.

Signs at the entrance to your premises

You may normally put a non-illuminated sign by your gate, driveway or within the grounds of your establishment with deemed consent (subject to limitations on overall size, height and size of characters or symbols).

Signs in advance of your premises

If you wish to put up directional signs by the side of the roads approaching your establishment, eg in a field overlooking the road (with the landowner's permission, of course), you must always seek the express consent of the planning authority.

Special controls

In sensitive places, eg Conservation Areas, the deemed consent may be removed by an Article 4 Declaration. You will have to apply for consent for signs on or at the entrance to your premises. In some rural localities an Area of Special Control Advertisements may restrict all outdoor advertising.

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Ensuring signs are not misleading

You should also ensure that any signs displayed are not misleading. For example, it is illegal to display a quality sign (from the AA or VisitEngland) on a non-assessed property or a sign showing an incorrect star rating.

For more information on misleading signs, see Unfair Trading Practices .

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White-on-brown tourism signs

Hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts can apply for these signs but, in practice, accommodation establishments have been less successful with their applications than visitor attractions.

The first step is to contact the highways department of your local authority who will advise you about procedures, local policy and the cost of such signs. Each local highways authority will have its own guidelines that balance local environmental and road safety interests with those of the tourism industry.

Your local highway authority controls signs on the local roads in its area and sets local policy on brown signs. The Highways Agency (HA) controls signs on trunk roads. Following a joint review by the Department for Transport (DfT) and HA, a new standard was issued in February 2004 for tourist signing on the trunk road network and new guidance was issued for the local road in England. These are available on the Highways Agency website.

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Further guidance

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