Advertising is a powerful tool to promote businesses and events. As a district we understand this and support local business, however, we need to ensure the correct advertising consents are in place.
East Cambridgeshire’s three market town centres; Ely, Soham and Littleport are all within conservation areas and they contain buildings of local or historic interest.
To preserve the special character of conservation areas and the entire district all forms of advertising need to be carefully considered.
You should consider the size, design and colour of the advertisement and how it complements the building and surrounding area. For example, images of products are not desirable.
Before you display any advert you should check whether it can be legally displayed, subject to conditions, under The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended).
More guidance is available on the government website.
If your advert does not meet the requirements of the regulations you will need to submit an application for advertisement consent.
If you are thinking about displaying signage at your property, you may need to apply for Advertisement Consent.
Consent is required to display most adverts, except some limited categories. Nearly all illuminated advertisements require permission from the Local Planning Authority.
It is recommended that you contact the Duty Planning Officer via our enquiry form or seek pre-application advice before submitting an application for Advertisement Consent.
The display of unauthorised adverts is a criminal offence, for which the district council can consider a prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court.
The information below relates to different types of advertising that you may be considering.
All outdoor advertisements must comply with the following five conditions:
A well-designed shop front will give a good impression of the business and consequently, if all shop fronts and signs in a street are attractive and of a high quality, will also benefit the local area and all traders.
Planning permission is normally required for the installation and alteration of shop fronts.
Before you decide on a design for your shop front, it is recommended that you seek pre-application advice from the planning department.
The council's adopted Shop Front Design Guide provides more detailed advice on best practice and the principals of good shop front design as well as local policy regarding certain features such as lighting, signs and shutters.
Anything added to shop windows to promote a business is classed as an advert and, therefore, you need to ensure the required advertisement consent is in place prior to installation.
A general principle is that shop windows should not be cluttered, allowing passers-by to see into the shop. Too many stickers or signs can be counter-productive when it comes to attracting custom and is also harmful to the character of the area.
Anything added to a shop front, wall, pavement, or street furniture to promote a business is classed as an advert and, therefore, you need to ensure the required advertisement consent is in place prior to installation.
A general principle is that shop frontages should not be cluttered, allowing passers-by to see into the shop. A-boards create an obstruction for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or pushchairs and for the blind or partially-sighted. Too many A-boards and other signage can be counter-productive when it comes to attracting custom and is also harmful to the character of the area.
Advertising banners are not generally encouraged because they can cause harm to the visual amenity of the area and can also be a distraction to road users depending on where they are positioned and the size of the text/graphics displayed.
Fly-posting is the unauthorised placing of literature and posters in public places.
The display of such unauthorised advertisements is a criminal offence, for which we can consider a prosecution in the Magistrates’ Court.
These unauthorised advertisements also have a harmful visual impact, causing areas to appear untidy and generating litter.
Unauthorised advertisements on Cambridgeshire County Council land or structures, for example within the highway verge or attached to traffic lights, are the responsibility of the county council.
Reports regarding fly posters or other advertisements that are not on county council land or structures should be directed to our planning enforcement team.