Cedar Planning helps media owners, landowners, retailers and sign companies secure advertisement consent across England. We test the site honestly, build the case around the two things councils can actually assess — amenity and public safety — and manage it through to decision or appeal.
We respond to all enquiries within 1 working day.
Advertisements sit under their own regime, the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Councils can only control them in the interests of amenity and public safety, taking account of cumulative impact. A strong application answers both, directly and with evidence.
Whether the display suits its surroundings — visually, historically and in combination with what is already there.
Whether the display could distract or confuse road users and pedestrians, or obstruct anything they rely on.
From a single illuminated fascia to a roadside digital portfolio, each display is assessed on its own site — and each needs a case written for that site.
Roadside and urban digital displays, including conversions of existing paper-and-paste sites to digital. Brightness, dwell time and highway safety are front and centre.
Often relevant to: media owners, site landlords
Freestanding and wall-mounted poster panels, construction hoardings and gable-end displays, where scale and visual impact drive the decision.
Often relevant to: landowners, outdoor media operators
Fascia signs, projecting signs and halo-lit lettering — especially where deemed consent limits are exceeded or the shop sits in a conservation area.
Often relevant to: retailers, sign makers, franchisees
Freestanding signs for retail parks, petrol forecourts, drive-throughs, car dealerships and business parks, where height and highway safety are usually the issue.
Often relevant to: operators, developers, estate managers
Temporary large-scale advertising on scaffolding and building wraps, often in sensitive town centres and frequently tied to heritage considerations.
Often relevant to: contractors, media owners
Coordinated applications across several sites or authorities — consistent supporting information, tailored to each council's policies and local context.
Often relevant to: media owners, national brands
There are broadly three positions. Which one applies depends on the type, size, illumination and location of the advertisement — so it is always worth checking before anything goes up.
A small number of advertisements fall outside the regulations altogether.
Some advertisements can be displayed without applying — but only within tight limits.
Anything beyond deemed consent needs an application to the council.
Putting up an advertisement that needs consent without getting it can be a criminal offence, and councils can require removal. If a display is already up, or a council has been in touch, talk to us early — there may be a route to regularise it.
Other consents that can run alongside advertisement consent:
Digital displays draw more scrutiny than any other advertisement type. Councils and highway authorities want to know exactly how the screen will behave, day and night. We set that out clearly before they have to ask.
Proposed brightness levels for day and night, with automatic dimming linked to ambient light and set against recognised lighting guidance.
How long each image stays on screen and how it changes — static images, instant switches, no video or animation.
The approach for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, and the screen's relationship to signals, crossings and decision points.
Light spill into nearby windows, orientation away from homes and sensible operating hours where needed.
The effect on conservation areas, listed buildings and key views — often decisive in town centres.
Previous decisions on the site, nearby approvals and refusals, and relevant appeal decisions that shape the council's likely view.
A clear process with a fixed fee — so you know the scope, the cost and the realistic prospects before you commit.
Send us the address, photos and display details. We give a frank view on prospects and the right route.
A clear scope and a single fixed fee. No surprises later.
Policy, site history, heritage, highways and comparable decisions — including appeals.
A focused case on amenity and public safety, coordinated with drawings, photomontages and technical input.
We submit, liaise with officers and consultees, and advise on next steps — including appeal if needed.
We work directly with clients or alongside your existing team — taking the planning work off your plate so you can focus on the site, the screen and the commercial deal.
New sites, digital upgrades of existing panels, renewals and portfolio rollouts.
Testing whether a site can carry a display before agreeing a lease or option.
Shopfront, fascia and illuminated signage — including multi-store programmes.
Planning support for your clients, so consent doesn't hold up fabrication and install.
Totems, price signs and pylons where height and highway safety need careful handling.
Advertisement strategy for new commercial schemes, hoardings and building wraps.
Advertisement refusals are often overturned where the council has overstated the impact or failed to engage with the evidence. But the timescales are short.
We review the refusal, the officer report and the evidence, and tell you honestly whether an appeal is worth pursuing. If it is, we prepare a focused appeal case for the Planning Inspectorate.
Councils can serve discontinuance notices against displays benefiting from deemed consent, and take action against advertisements displayed without consent. These situations need a clear, early response.
Led by Dan Malloy, a Chartered Town Planner with 10+ years across local authority and private practice.
If a site is unlikely to succeed, we say so before you spend money on drawings or fees.
A single scoped fee agreed before work starts.
Local authority experience means we know what officers and highway consultees look for.
Statements normally targeted within two weeks of instruction.
Based in Norfolk, with experience across more than 125 planning authorities in England.
Advertisements are controlled under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 rather than through a normal planning application. A digital billboard will almost always need express advertisement consent from the local planning authority. Depending on the site, other consents may also be needed, such as listed building consent or planning permission for associated works.
Deemed consent allows certain types of advertisement to be displayed without applying, provided they meet strict limits on size, height, illumination and location. Anything outside those limits needs express consent, which means submitting an application to the council. Large-format, digital and many illuminated displays fall outside deemed consent.
Councils can only control advertisements in the interests of amenity and public safety. Amenity covers visual impact, the character of the area, heritage and cumulative clutter. Public safety covers matters such as highway safety, driver distraction and sightlines. The content or message of the advertisement is not a planning matter.
Councils normally aim to determine advertisement consent applications within 8 weeks of validation. Preparing a well-evidenced submission beforehand usually takes one to three weeks, depending on the supporting information required.
Express consent is normally granted for five years unless the council specifies a different period. In many cases a display can continue after expiry under deemed consent, although the council retains powers to take discontinuance action.
Yes. Appeals are made to the Planning Inspectorate and the deadline is short, normally 8 weeks from the date of the decision notice. We can review the refusal, advise honestly on prospects and prepare the appeal case.
Yes. Cedar Planning is based in Norfolk and works across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and takes on advertisement consent and appeal work for sites throughout England.
Tell us about the site and the display. We'll give you a straight answer on prospects and the right route — free and without obligation.
Or email info@cedarplanning.co.uk or call 01603 575714.
Tell us about your project and we'll come back to you within 1 working day with honest, practical advice.