Consent types

Application for Consent to Display an Advertisement(s)

Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007¹

The Application for Consent to Display an Advertisement should be used for proposals to display an advertisement or sign which require advertisement consent.

What is an 'advertisement'?

The term “advertisement” covers a wide range of advertisements and signs including:

• Posters and notices
• Placards and boards
• Fascia signs and projecting signs
• Pole signs and canopy signs
• Models and devices
• Advance signs and directional signs
• Estate agents' boards
• Captive balloon advertising (not balloons in flight)
• Flag advertisements
• Price markers and price displays
• Traffic signs
• Town and village name-signs

Memorials and railway signals are not regarded as advertisements.

When is advertisement consent required?

Types of advertising which normally need advertisement consent include:

• The majority of illuminated signs
• Advertisements using specialised structures for their display, such as poster hoardings and most non-highway authority roadside advance warning or directional signs
• Signs positioned above 4.6 metres in relation to buildings above the level of the bottom part of first floor windows or on gable ends.

When deciding applications for advertisement consent, local authorities will have regard only to considerations of 'amenity' and 'public safety'.

Some advertisements are not regulated by the planning authority, and others benefit from 'deemed consent', which means permission is not needed, depending on the size, position and illumination of the advert. Others will always need consent.

Please note: Particular care must be taken when signs are displayed on or close to listed buildings so that they do not detract from the character and appearance of the building. Even signs that are normally permitted within the advertisement regulations require separate listed building consent if they are attached to listed buildings.

Who controls outdoor advertisements?

Local Planning Authorities are usually responsible for the advertisement control system and deciding whether a particular advertisement should be permitted or not.

There are two main exceptions to this arrangement:

• If the advertisement is to be displayed in any National Park, the planning authority is the National Park authority, or if it is to be displayed within the Broads area then the planning authority is the Broads authority
• If the advertisement is to be displayed in an urban development area, the planning authority normally is the Urban Development Corporation for that area

If the planning authority refuses consent for your advertisement, or require you to remove an existing advertisement, you have a right to appeal against their decision.

Information required

Applications for consent to display an advertisement will require certain information to ensure the request is fully explained to the local authority. This includes a site plan and location plan on all applications.

Other supporting knowledge will be required such as details around the advertisement including:

• The type of advertisement
• Its location
• The length of time it will be displayed for

Your application can be aided by a neighbour and community consultation.

Timeline

Decisions on applications for advertisement consent should be made within 8 weeks. This begins when the Local Planning Authority accepts the application as valid. They are in force until the specified duration of the advertisement is completed.

Fees

The costs for Consent to Display an Advertisement are:

• Advertisements relating to the business on the premises: £165
• Advance signs which are not situated on or visible from the site, directing the public to a business: £165
• Other advertisements: £578

For more information you may wish to consult our fee calculator.²

What happens next?

Once an application for advertisement consent is approved you are able to display your advert in the agreed upon location for the duration specified. In some cases, this is done alongside full planning permission³, in this scenario you may have to wait for a decision on the full planning permission before continuing.

Useful resources

Guidance overview: Outdoor advertisements and signs: a guide for advertisers⁴

1. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/783/introduction/made
2. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/app/fee-calculator
3. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/planning/planning-applications/consent-types/full-planning-consent
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/outdoor-advertisements-and-signs-a-guide-for-advertisers