Discussions with the local authority

If you are making the first contact with the local authority and do not have a named contact, I suggest you start by asking to speak to somebody in the Planning Office (temporary signs) and the Licensing Office (events). (For more on licensing, see Chapter 17, ‘Permissions’.)

Be ready to explain the nature of your enquiry. Begin by saying you want to discuss temporary event signs, and then give a brief description of your event, the attractions. numbers attending, proposed dates and the exact location of the proposed site. With that information they should be able to connect you to the person who will be able to deal with your enquiry.

Though initial telephone contact will be required, to effectively discuss your event and sign requirements and proposals, you should arrange a face-to-face meeting. At that meeting you should have:

• a copy of your event objective,
• an outline of the proposed event type,
• an outline of the event attractions,
• an outline of the audience size, where they will come from and how they will travel,
• an outline of the event site (or at most two or three optional sites), and
• an outline of your public liability insurance arrangements.

With this information, an initial meeting will be fruitful. As you progress formally agreeing on an event site, with input from the police and the local authority you will be able to more accurately define and agree an event sign schedule.

Schedule of signs and locations

In early discussions with the authorities, they will indicate which signs you may be able to use. The safest course for any event is to assume that planning permission will be required for every sign you want to use. For any agreed signs and advertisements, the authorities will probably expect the event manager to produce a sign schedule. The schedule will include specifications of the construction of the proposed signs, which must comply with the law in relation to size, material, colour and lettering style and lettering size. The event manager must also provide a list showing the agreed locations of off-site signs. By law the regulations relating to temporary signs, strictly specify such things as:

• optimum distance from junctions,
• optimum height above ground or footpath,
• optimum height of poles,
• angle of sign in relation to approaching traffic, and
• background colour and lettering colour combinations.