Signs & Signage in Kent
Kent covers a lot of ground, from commuter towns on the edge of London to historic centres and coastal ports. We survey from our Gatwick Office in Crawley, design for free and make every sign, screen housing and fascia in our own workshop.
Thirteen planning authorities
Kent County Council works alongside twelve district councils, and it is the districts that act as planning authorities. Medway Council is separate again: a unitary authority covering towns such as Chatham. So a sign in Sevenoaks, one in Canterbury and one in Chatham could each go to a different council with different guidance.
Digital signage in Kent
Many Kent businesses now want screens alongside, or instead of, printed signs. A window-facing display lets a shop, estate agent or café change its message daily, and an indoor screen in a reception or showroom can run menus, offers or wayfinding without reprinting.
The main decisions are brightness (window and outdoor screens need far more than indoor ones), the housing, how content is updated and whether the screen will need consent. Moving or illuminated content facing the street is treated as an illuminated advert, so check with your district before installing one outside. See our digital displays page for screen types and sizes.
Maidstone and other historic centres
Maidstone has several conservation areas, including Maidstone Town Centre. In streets like these, and in Kent's many other old town centres, councils generally prefer signs that respect the building: painted or timber fascias, individual letters and discreet lighting. Screens are better placed inside the window than fixed to the front of the building.
Kent Downs and the countryside
The Kent Downs AONB runs from Dover to Westerham. Farm shops, pubs, garden centres and rural businesses inside it face stricter scrutiny for roadside signs and lighting, so a modest, well-made sign that suits the landscape is the realistic aim.
Industrial and commuter towns
Around Dartford, Gravesend and Ashford, much of the work is commercial: unit signs, totems, safety signs and fleet graphics for vans. We carry out the free site survey, make everything in our own workshop and our own team installs it.
Shopfronts on Kent high streets
Away from the screens, most Kent signage is still about the shopfront. In towns such as Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Canterbury, where many buildings are old, a timber or painted aluminium fascia with built-up letters is a safe and smart choice. In Gravesend, Dartford and Ashford's retail areas, illuminated letters and printed panels are more common.
A projecting sign helps wherever footfall is mostly on foot, and window graphics can carry the detail, such as services, opening times and offers, that would clutter the main fascia.
Every Kent job follows the same route: a free site survey, free design with photo-realistic mock-ups, manufacture in our own workshop and fitting by our own team.
Across Kent we work in Maidstone, Canterbury, Ashford, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Gravesend, Chatham and Folkestone, among other towns.
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Kent signage questions
Do I need consent for a digital screen in my Kent shop window?
A screen inside the window is often fine, but moving or lit content aimed at the street can count as an illuminated advert. Check with your district council first.
Which council deals with signs in Chatham?
Medway Council, a unitary authority separate from Kent County Council and its twelve districts.
Are signs in the Kent Downs treated differently?
Yes. The Kent Downs AONB runs from Dover to Westerham, and roadside signs and lighting inside it are judged more strictly.
Do you supply screens as well as printed signs?
Yes. See our digital displays page for indoor, window-facing and outdoor options.
Top Signage Services in Kent
Our most-requested services across the region.