Reports needed for a shop front and signage scheme
Two consents, two forms, two sets of rules. What a shopfront and signage scheme needs to submit, and where deemed consent runs out.
A new shopfront and a new sign are two separate consents, obtained from the same council on two different application forms under two different sets of rules. The shopfront alteration needs planning permission because it materially affects the external appearance of the building. The sign needs advertisement consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007, unless it falls within a class of deemed consent. Shopfront signage planning reports therefore come in two bundles, and an occupier who submits only one usually finds out when the fascia is already up.
Advertisement control is also narrower than ordinary planning control. A council may only consider amenity and public safety when deciding an advertisement application. It cannot refuse because it dislikes the business, the trading hours or the competition.
Planning permission and advertisement consent distinguished
Replacing a fascia, changing the stallriser, altering the door position, removing a pilaster or installing a roller shutter is a physical alteration and needs planning permission. Painting the existing shopfront in a different colour usually does not, unless the building is listed or a direction removes the right.
Displaying a sign on that shopfront is a separate matter. The advertisement regulations govern it, the application is for advertisement consent, and the decision turns on amenity and public safety alone.
On a listed building, a third consent applies. Listed building consent is needed for the shopfront works and for fixing signage to the fabric, it carries no application fee, and the tests are quite different from those used for advertisements.
Where the unit is changing hands as well as changing appearance, the considerations that apply to a new professional or medical use in a shop unit may be running in parallel.
Deemed consent and the limits that apply
Schedule 3 to the 2007 Regulations sets out classes of advertisement that have deemed consent, meaning they can be displayed without an application provided they stay within the limits of the class.
The limits that matter for a shop are the height of the top of the sign above ground level, commonly 4.6 metres, the projection of the sign from the wall face, the size and number of signs on the premises, and whether the sign is illuminated. Illumination frequently takes a display outside the class that would otherwise cover it.
Two things narrow the classes further. An area of special control of advertisements, usually rural, restricts what can be displayed without consent. And a direction made by the council can remove deemed consent for particular classes in a defined area, which is common in conservation areas and historic high streets.
Read the class that applies before assuming a sign is permitted. Deemed consent is also subject to standard conditions, including that the display is kept clean and tidy, is safe, and is removed when it is no longer needed.
Illumination, luminance and standard conditions
Illuminated signage is where most refusals happen, and the evidence needed is straightforward to supply.
Give the illumination type, whether internal or external, halo lit or trough lit, and state the luminance in candelas per square metre alongside the environmental zone of the location. The recognised professional guidance on advertisement lighting sets maximum luminance by zone and by sign area, and quoting the figure you are designing to removes the argument.
For digital displays, state the dwell time, the transition between images, whether any moving image or video is proposed, and the automatic dimming arrangement for night-time. Moving images and short dwell times attract highway safety objections near junctions and signal controlled crossings.
Expect conditions on hours of illumination, on maximum luminance and on the removal of the display when the use ceases. Where the location is sensitive, a short Lighting Assessment covering the sign alongside the rest of the external lighting saves a round of correspondence.
Conservation area and listed building expectations
In a conservation area, and on any listed building, the design conversation changes from what the brand requires to what the building can take.
Internally illuminated box fascias are almost always refused. The usual alternatives are individually applied letters, either hand-painted onto a timber fascia or cut and pin-fixed, with discreet external illumination on a slim trough or by remote spotlight. Projecting hanging signs on a decorative bracket are generally acceptable where a large box would not be.
Where the building is listed, a Heritage Statement should describe the significance of the shopfront and the building, explain the fixing method, state where the fixings land in the mortar joints rather than the stone or brick, and set out how previous signage will be made good.
Most councils publish a shopfront design guide. Reading it before the drawings are produced is worth more than any argument afterwards, because the officer will apply it.
Stallriser, fascia and pilaster detail
Traditional shopfronts have a grammar, and schemes that respect it get consented quickly.
The stallriser at the base gives the frontage weight and protects the glazing. Pilasters frame the opening and stop at a console bracket. The fascia sits between the brackets and belongs at the depth the building sets, not at the depth the sign needs. A cornice caps it.
The recurring errors are a fascia that runs across the pilasters and beyond the shop, a stallriser reduced to nothing so glazing meets the pavement, and a deep fascia added to accommodate an oversized logo. Each of those will be picked up by a conservation officer and each is avoidable at design stage.
Roller shutters need their own attention. Solid external shutters with a boxed housing above the fascia are routinely refused in conservation areas. Open lattice shutters behind the glazing line, or internal grilles, are the usual compromise.
Accessibility at the threshold
A shopfront alteration is an opportunity to fix the step, and councils increasingly expect it to be taken.
Show the existing and proposed threshold levels on a section drawing. Where a level entrance can be achieved, show it. Where it cannot, explain why, set out the alternative arrangement, and show the door opening width and the manoeuvring space inside.
The building regulations requirements for access apply to the building work itself, and the duty on service providers to make reasonable adjustments sits outside the planning system. A Design and Access Statement is the place to explain the approach, and it is a requirement in any event for listed building consent.
The document bundle to submit
For a typical shopfront replacement with new signage in a conservation area:
- planning application with existing and proposed elevations at 1:50, a section through the shopfront, a site location plan and a materials schedule
- advertisement consent application with a drawing of each sign, its dimensions, materials, method of fixing, illumination type and luminance
- listed building consent application where the building is listed, with the same drawings plus fixing details
- heritage statement addressing significance and impact
- design and access statement where required
- photographs of the existing frontage and of the neighbouring frontages in the group
Signs are counted individually, so a fascia, a projecting sign and a vinyl window graphic may need separate entries on the same application. The report index covers the supporting documents in more detail.
Enforcement and the discontinuance notice
Displaying an advertisement without consent is an offence, and it is one of the few areas of planning where prosecution happens without a prior notice. The council can also serve a removal notice.
For a sign displayed with deemed consent that is nonetheless harmful, the council can serve a discontinuance notice, which requires the display to stop. That is the route used against long-standing signage in conservation areas, and there is a right of appeal against it.
The practical advice is dull and correct. Apply before the sign goes up, keep the consent reference, and diarise the expiry, because express advertisement consent runs for a fixed period, normally five years, after which the display needs renewing.
This is general guidance, not legal advice; check the position with your local planning authority or a qualified professional before relying on it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to change the sign on my shop?
It depends on the sign. Schedule 3 to the advertisement regulations gives deemed consent to classes of display within stated limits on height, projection, size and illumination. Outside those limits, or where a direction or area of special control applies, express advertisement consent is required before the sign goes up.
What can a council consider when deciding an advertisement application?
Only amenity and public safety. It cannot refuse because of the nature of the business, its trading hours or its effect on competitors. Amenity covers the effect on the appearance of the building and the area, and public safety covers highway and pedestrian safety, including driver distraction.
Is advertisement consent permanent?
No. Express advertisement consent normally runs for five years, after which the display needs renewing. Consents also carry standard conditions requiring the display to be kept clean and safe, not to obscure traffic signs, and to be removed when it is no longer required.
Why are internally illuminated fascias refused in conservation areas?
Because the uniform glow of a box fascia reads as a modern retail element on a historic frontage, and its depth usually forces the fascia beyond the dimension the building sets. Individually applied letters with discreet external illumination achieve the same legibility at night without the same effect by day.
What happens if a sign goes up without consent?
Displaying an advertisement without consent is an offence and the council can prosecute or serve a removal notice. Where a sign has deemed consent but causes harm, a discontinuance notice can be served requiring the display to stop, and there is a right of appeal against that notice.
Sources and further reading
This article is general guidance about the planning system in England and, where stated, the rest of the UK. It is not legal or professional advice. Check your local planning authority’s validation requirements and take professional advice for your specific site.