Temporary Advertisements On Street Furniture

Signs / Displays

Tameside Council is currently undergoing significant project work to establish structural strength of main road columns and as such we are not approving any temporary signage permits at this time. Unauthorised temporary signage will be immediately removed and costs recovered from any offenders.

Tameside Council is continuing its push for safer, cleaner streets by reinstating tighter control of lamp-post signs.

Anyone who wants to display a sign / display attached to a lamppost will have to apply to council highways engineers for permission.

• How do I apply to put up a sign?
• What are the terms and conditions?
• How can I make a complaint about placement / condition of a sign?

How do I apply to put up a sign?

People need to apply in writing (or apply online) at least 28 days before the publicity is to go up, providing information on where and when they would like to display their items and the reason for the sign.

Engineers will judge if the proposed site is suitable, in highways safety terms, for pedestrians and drivers and applicants will be informed if they have permission.

What are the terms and conditions?

The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007

Conditions relating to the Siting of Temporary Advertisements on Street Furniture for Local Religious, Educational, Cultural, Political, Social or Recreational Events, Travelling Circuses and Fairs

• Only Public Information / Charity Organisation / Partner Organisation posters to be erected on Highway street furniture (i.e. no ‘commercial only’ advertising allowed).
• The applicant shall submit a schedule describing where it is proposed that each advertisement shall be placed (only authorized sites described in appendix 1 can be chosen). A maximum of 15 advertisements within the borough can be displayed for any one event and applications must be made at least 14 days prior to the positioning of the first advertisement.
• The applicant shall submit proof of their Public Liability Insurance for the sum of £5 million to indemnify the Council against any claim for damages, which may arise resulting from the display of these adverts.
• No sign /display should be erected on:
  • Traffic or pedestrian crossing signal posts. 
  • Lamp columns which are concrete.
  • Lamp / sign posts showing any signs of alterations from 'standard' columns.
  • Lamp / sign posts which already have any signage in place.
  • Lamp / sign posts in exposed locations or situated on bridges.
  • Lamp / sign posts where unacceptable obstruction and visibility impairment would occur if signage was to be installed.
• Signs must be erected to maintain the minimum headroom clearance of 2.2 meters (7’2”) above the footway. 
• All signs fastened to the column / post must be secured so as not to cover any road traffic sign or other permanent sign in a manner that does not damage the column/post and/ or create any danger to pedestrians or road user. 
• No sign should be erected on a lamp column etc. so as to reduce the passing traffic clearance which exists between the columns and the kerb edge, where it is 450mm (18 inches) or less, i.e. the minimum distance between the sign edge and the kerb edge should not be less than 450mm.
• No advertisement on to exceed 0.3m x 1m or up to a maximum of 0.3m² (unless affixed to columns which are purposefully designed to take such increased signage / display and has prior authorisation through Engineering Service, Street Lighting section).
• Advertisements must not be erected more than 28 days before the event and removed within 48 hours after the end of the activity or the last performance. (i.e. maximum display is 30 days).
• Should any of the above terms and conditions be contravened a charge of £15 per sign may be made to cover administration and/ or removal costs as appropriate.

How can I make a complaint about placement / condition of a sign?

Any complaints about the location or safety of a sign should be reported to us immediately by using the contact details below. Non urgent complaints about signs can be logged on the online complaints system and this will be dealt with accordingly.