Advertisements and hoardings
Under the Town & Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007, all advertisements which fall within the scope of the regulations need consent before they can be legally displayed.
An "advertisement" is defined as any word, letter, model, sign, placard, board, notice, awning, blind device or representation, whether illuminated or not, in nature of, and employment wholly or partly for the purposes of, advertisement, announcement or direction, and includes any hoarding or similar structure used, or adapted for use, for the display of advertisements.
Like the definition, the regulations are complex, but basically all advertisements are grouped into three categories:
- Exceptions: That is advertisements which do not require advertisement consent.
- Deemed consent: Those advertisements which require consent, but provided they fall within certain criteria can be displayed without having to apply to the local planning authority.
- Express consent: An application for express consent must be made to the local planning authority on the forms provided and is subject to a fee. Applications for advertisement consent can be considered only in the interests of "amenity" and "public safety". We may not impose any limitation or restriction on the subject matter, content, or design of an advertisement except in the interests of public safety or amenity.