General policy guidelines on the control of advertising boards on the public highway

1. No signs, boards, displays, etc. will be permitted on sites where there are private forecourts that could be used to accommodate them.
2. All signs, boards, displays etc. must be temporary in their nature so that they can be easily removed (e.g. require no excavation to install or remove).
3. Signs, boards, displays etc. must not be chained, attached or fixed to any footway, tree, lamp column, post, guardrail, bollard, seat or any other item of street furniture.
4. Signs, boards, displays etc must not damage the highway.
5. Signs, boards, displays etc. must be stable and not easily blown over.  In the event of high winds and/or inclement weather they should be removed from the footpath completely.
6. All signs, boards, displays etc. must be totally removed from the highway at the end of the days trading.
7. Signs, boards, displays etc. must not cause a visual distraction or obstruction to vehicle sight lines or block visibility for pedestrians.
8. All signs, boards, displays etc. will be the owner’s responsibility when placed on the highway and the Highway Authority will not be liable for any injury or damaged caused to highway users.
9. An unobstructed footway width of 2 metres is essential in all town centres and high streets and desirable in other locations.  Where this is not practicable in other locations a minimum width of 1.5 metres must be maintained.  The Council reserve the right to consider each on its merits and may vary these dimensions if appropriate.
10. In areas of high volume pedestrian flows (e.g. near schools or in certain pedetrianised areas) the placing of signs, boards, displays etc. will not be allowed.
11. Signs, boards, displays etc. must be such that they can easily be detected by the visually impaired and easily negotiated by those with mobility difficulties.
12. Where at all practicable, the sign, board, display etc. should be sited directly adjacent to the shop frontage (i.e. within 600mm from the shop front) and be sited wholly within this area.  Alternatively, it may be sited in line with existing street furniture outside shop frontages depending upon the location.
13. Any sign, board, display etc. must relate to the normal business of the trading establishment but will not be for general advertising such as lottery tickets etc.
14. Rotating or swinging signs, boards, displays etc. will not be permitted.
15. Any sign, board, display etc. should be no wider than 600mm and no higher than 900mm above ground level (including any support)
16. Only one sign, board, display etc. will be permitted per premise.
17. Where multiple occupancy premises share joint accesses, only one sign, board or display etc. will be allowed per shop frontage.
18. The Council may require the immediate removal of any sign, board, display etc. if requested by a Police Officer/Police Community Support Officer or with other reasonable cause including the need for access to maintain the highway.
19. Nothing in these guidelines absolves those concerned from their legal responsibilities under the Highways Act 1980 and other legislation.

Design guidelines

1. Colour: loud clashing colours should be avoided.
2. Materials: should be carefully considered, work best in timber.
3. Relationship to shop front: consider relating the design to the style of the fascia.
4. Consider alternative methods where appropriate: changeable nameplates as an alternative to A-boards are being considered in Church Court, Richmond