Jan 7, 2014

Putting Up Signs outside Your House



If you’re going to put up signs, safety or otherwise, outside your house you need to ensure that doing so is legal and doesn’t pose a safety threat to members of the public, for example blocking their view of the road. 

Quite a number of people have run afoul of their local councils and police by erecting signs outside their home, and although there are often very good reasons for doing so, and may in fact be in the public’s best interest, it is important to note that there are legal and safety considerations to take note of and that you could find yourself in trouble for trying to make your local area a better, safer place.

Advertising and promotional signs
If you’re going to advertise your small business, one based at home, online or in the local shopping centre or high street, you will need to adhere to specific regulations concerning the erecting of signs for advertising purposes. Regulations that govern advertisements are put in place for the safety of us all and help to keep residential areas looking neat and tidy which also has the effect of keeping property prices healthy for the benefit of homeowners. 

Therefore, although it might seem as though the Government and local councils are somewhat heavy handed regarding the regulation of advertisements in residential areas, there are some very good reasons as to why they are regulated to the extent they are. 

Although it’s highly unlikely that you will need to apply for planning permission to erect a sign with your building number on it or a sign that says ‘No Junk Mail’ or ‘Beware of the Dog’, you will, however, need to apply for permission to apply for any sign larger than 0.3m or any size if it is illuminated. Furthermore, there is also legislation governing temporary signs that are larger than 0.6m, which is the size of an estate agent’s sign, though such signs aren’t regulated in the same manner.

Disabled parking signs and parking bays
If you are disabled and a Blue Badge holder you may be allowed to put a disabled parking sign and parking bay outside your home. There are criteria to adhere to as you can imagine, which will include being a Blue Badge holder and the vehicle being registered to that specific address. As with all activities of this nature, you will need to contact your local council to make enquiries and seek consent which could take months.

Furthermore, even though it might be your home and you were the one who made all the arrangements, as it will be a recognised disabled parking space no one else can park there without risking a fine (which goes for visitors to your home also), plus any Blue Badge holder can park there, not only yourself.

No parking signs
Many people have erected no parking signs outside their homes and understandably many have run afoul of their local authorities for doing so because there are rules and regulations concerning traffic signs which we all have to adhere to for obvious reasons, i.e. no one should have the right to make their own traffic rules. This is for the safety and wellbeing of the general public and although you might find it difficult to park, or even gain access to your home, you will need to seek consent from your local council before erecting any signs of this nature.

There are some very good reasons why this is so, for example to avoid altering the flow of traffic which could result in congestion, causing confusion for motorists which could result in accidents and redirecting traffic through areas that have been designated low traffic density areas like school districts for example. Furthermore, even if you are granted permission to erect a no parking sign outside your home this would generally not be enforceable so other motorists can still park there and you might find that some make a habit of it just to annoy you.

Take note of these considerations when putting up signs outside your home and don’t forget to seek consent from your local council before doing so – there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in trouble otherwise.

About the Author:
A company with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Archer Signs is a leader in providing safety and traffic signs in the UK. They have their own manufacturing facility in Nottingham.
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