If you want to display advertisements and hoardings, you need to get Advertisement Consent. Applications for the display of advertisements are made under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 in a similar way to planning applications.
There are three basic classes of advertisements:
- those to which the Regulations do not apply which do not, therefore, come within the controls
- those which can be displayed with deemed consent (i.e. which do not require an application for express consent)
- those which can only be displayed with express consent (i.e. requiring an application)
Advertisements can be controlled only on the basis of visual amenity and public safety. The content or wording of an advertisement is not subject to control.
An advertisement with deemed consent can be challenged by the Local Planning Authority by serving a Discontinuance Order. There is a right of appeal.
An express consent lasts for a period of 5 years after which the approved advertisement has the benefit of "deemed consent".
For more information please see the advertisement guide, which helps explain to those wanting to display an outdoor advertisement how the system of advertisement control works in England.
The booklet is only a guide and does not include every condition or limitation for every Class of those Advertisements which are normally permitted. Full details are in the 2007 Regulations and Circular 03/07: Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007, which can be found on the Office of Public Sector Information website.