Signs & Signage in East Sussex

Two planning systems side by side

East Sussex County Council covers five districts: Eastbourne, Hastings, Lewes, Rother and Wealden. Brighton and Hove is different. It has its own city council, a unitary authority separate from the county, with its own planning policies for shopfronts and adverts.

In practice that means a sign in Lewes, Seaford or Newhaven goes to Lewes District Council, Bexhill-on-Sea sits in Rother, Uckfield and Crowborough are in Wealden, and anything in Brighton or Hove is decided by the city. Before you commit to lighting or a projecting sign, check which of these councils is yours.

Brighton and Hove: heritage on every corner

Brighton and Hove has a long list of conservation areas, including North Laine, Kemp Town, Brunswick Town and Regency Square, and around 1,067 listed buildings within about 4 km of the centre. North Laine and the Lanes are known for independent shops, which is exactly where a well-made sign does the most work, and where planners look hardest.

On a listed building or in one of these areas, hand-painted fascias, slim individual letters and hanging signs on traditional brackets are generally the safer route. Large internally lit boxes are the hardest to justify. If your shop is listed, listed building consent can be needed alongside advertisement consent, so allow time for both.

The coast: Eastbourne, Hastings, Bexhill and Seaford

Seafront signs take a battering. Wind loads are higher, salt gets into fixings and sunlight fades cheap vinyl quickly. For coastal premises we recommend aluminium trays rather than composite panels where the budget allows, stainless or coated fixings, and printed graphics with a UV-resistant laminate.

Weald market towns

Inland, places such as Lewes, Uckfield and Crowborough have older high streets where timber, painted finishes and modest lighting usually fit best. Businesses on the edge of town, with car parks and side roads, often need a freestanding sign at the entrance so customers can find them.

Whatever the setting, the process is the same: a free site survey, free design with photo-realistic mock-ups, manufacture in our own workshop and installation by our own team.

Signs for independent shops

Independent traders rarely have a brand manual, so the sign often becomes the brand. A few rules help. Keep the name short and the lettering large enough to read from the opposite pavement. Use no more than two typefaces. Put opening hours, social handles and offers on the window or a menu case rather than the fascia, so the main sign stays clean and lasts for years.

A projecting sign is especially useful in narrow streets like those around the Lanes, where shoppers walk along the shopfronts and do not see a flat fascia until they are level with it.