Advertisement Consent Explained: Signs and UK Councils

Advertisement consent is the permission a local council gives for displaying a sign. It is a separate thing from planning permission for building work, and it catches a lot of businesses out because most people simply do not know it exists.

Deemed consent, the automatic permission

Many ordinary business signs are covered by what is called deemed consent, meaning they are allowed automatically provided they stay within set limits on size, height, projection and illumination. A modest unlit fascia sign on a normal shop is usually the classic example.

Express consent, when you have to apply

You generally need to apply when a sign goes beyond those limits, when it is illuminated in a sensitive location, when it projects a long way from the building, or when the property or the area has additional protection. Councils vary in how they interpret the rules, which is why the sensible step is always to ask yours.

How the application works

Applications go to the local planning authority, usually through the Planning Portal. You supply scaled drawings, a location plan and normally a photomontage showing the sign in place. The council then has a set determination period, commonly quoted as eight weeks, so build that into your timeline.

What it costs

There is a council application fee per site, and fees are reviewed periodically, so check the current figure with your authority or on the Planning Portal before you budget. The drawings and photomontage are usually prepared by your signmaker.

What councils look at

• The size of the sign relative to the building
• Whether the materials and colours suit the street
• Brightness and hours of illumination
• Highway safety, particularly anything that could distract drivers
• The effect on a conservation area or a listed building
• Whether there is already a lot of signage on the frontage

What happens if you do not apply

Displaying an advertisement without consent when consent is required is an offence, and councils can require the sign to be taken down. In practice you may first get a letter asking you to apply retrospectively, but you are then paying twice and risking a refusal on a sign you have already bought.

Important caveat

The regulations differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and individual councils apply local policy on top. Nothing here is a substitute for confirming the position with your own local planning authority before you order a sign.

We handle the paperwork

Advise us of the address at survey stage and we will tell you whether we think consent is needed, prepare the drawings and photomontages, and deal with the planning department for you. Call 0800 454 613.