Planning - Advertising

The Advertisement Regulations are complex but for shops and small businesses the following rules apply:

Advertisements on business premises:

An application for advertisement consent is not required to display a new sign, or alter an existing sign such as a fascia sign above a shopfront providing the following criteria are met:

• The advertisement must relate to the goods or services available at the premises (i.e. not a commercial advertising hoarding where space is let out)
• The letters, figures or symbols must be less than 0.75m in height.
• The highest point of the sign must be less than 4.6m above ground level.
• The highest point of the sign must be below the bottom of the first floor window on the wall where the advertisement is.
• It must not be illuminated (separate restrictions apply for illuminated signs)
• Where the advertisement is displayed on a shop, the sign must only be on the wall of the shop that has a shop window in it.

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Illuminated signs:

An application for advertisement consent is not required to display an illuminated sign providing the following restrictions are complied with:

• The premises must not be in a conservation area. Click here to see if your property is in a conservation area.
• The illumination must be restricted to internally illuminated letters or symbols on an un lit background, or "halo" lit letters or symbols.
• The illumination must not be flashing
• The sign must not be made up of exposed cathode tubing (i.e. neon signs)
• The sign must not have more than 1 fascia panel and one projecting at right angles.
• Where the advertisement is displayed on a shop, the sign must only be on the wall of the shop that has a shop window in it.
• The sign must be at least 2.5m high at its lowest point.
• If the sign is a fascia panel, it must not extend more than 0.25m out from the wall.
• If the sign is projecting, it must not exceed 0.25m between the two sides.

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Forecourt Advertisements:

Advertisement Consent is not required to display some advertisements on the private forecourt of a business premises providing the following criteria are met:

• The signs must be at ground level
• The TOTAL area of all the forecourt advertisements combined must not exceed 4.5m2 on each forecourt.
• The signs must not be illuminated.

These allowances only apply to private forecourts, if the sign is to be on part of the highway, such as a pavement, you will require a licence from the Highway Authority. Contact the Hastings Highways Manager 783345.

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Important Notes:

Even if Advertisement Consent is not required, if your property is a listed building in some circumstances listed building consent may be required.

Before displaying any sign you are strongly advised to write to us, with a drawing of your proposals to seek confirmation that you will not need to make an application.

A booklet "Outdoor Advertisements and Signs" is available from Planning Services

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Shopfronts:

Planning Permission is always required for the installation of a new shopfront, or the material alteration of an existing shopfront.

Particular care should be taken in the design of shopfronts in listed buildings or within conservation areas. A leaflet "Shopfront Design for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas is available for download from this site.

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