Advertisement boards

Property owners or their agents have a right to display ‘for sale’ and ‘to let’ boards. The restrictions that apply to such boards are as follows:

• Not more than one advertisement, consisting of a single board or two joined boards, is permitted, and where more than one advertisement is displayed, the first to be displayed shall be taken to be the one permitted.
• No advertisement may be displayed indicating that land or premises have been sold or let, other than by the addition to an existing advertisement of a statement that a sale or letting has been agreed, or that the land or premises have been sold or let, subject to contract.
• The advertisement shall be removed within 14 days after the completion of a sale or the grant of a tenancy.
• No advertisement may exceed in area:
  (a) where the advertisement relates to residential use or development, 0.5 square metre or, in the case of two joined boards, 0.6 square metre in total
  (b) where the advertisement relates to any other use or development, 2 square metres or, in the case of two joined boards, 2.3 square metres in total.
• Where the advertisement is displayed on a building, the maximum projection permitted from the face of the building is one metre.
• Illumination is not permitted.
• No character or symbol on the advertisement may be more than 0.75 metres in height.
• No part of the advertisement may be higher above ground level than 4.6 metres. In the case of a sale or letting of part only of a building, the lowest level of that part of the building on which display is reasonably practicable.

Estate agent boards must also comply with five ‘standard conditions’ that apply to all outdoor advertisements. They must:

• be kept clean and tidy
• be kept in a safe condition
• have the permission of the owner of the site on which they are displayed (this includes the Highway Authority, if the sign is to be placed on highway land)
• not obscure or hinder the interpretation of official road, rail, waterway or aircraft signs, or otherwise make hazardous the use of these types of transport
• be removed carefully where so required by the planning authority.