Wellingborough Town Centre Area of Special Control of Advertisements
An issue raised in the Wellingborough Town Centre Conservation Area Character Appraisal was the poor quality of the signage on a number of the shop fronts. Signage on shops and other business premises is subject to a process known as "Deemed Consent". The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007 enables certain "specified classes" of advertisement to be displayed without application to the Planning Authority provided the installation is within certain parameters. However, where a higher level of control is deemed appropriate in a sensitive environment such as the present conservation area, Councils may designate an "Area of Special Control of Advertisements" (ASCA) which imposes stricter or more limited parameters for the display of deemed consent advertisements.
Designation of an ASCA covering the town's main shopping streets allows greater control over the size of signs, the height of advertisements on facades, illumination, the proportion of a shop frontage given over to advertisements, poster hoardings around construction sites and advertisements on telephone kiosks and captive balloons. It is felt that this additional tool will contribute significantly to the Council's ability to achieve the primary objective of regenerating the town centre through the upgrading and reinforcing of its character and appearance.
O 26 November 2013 the Secretary of State approved an Area of Special Control of Advertising for parts of Wellingborough Town Centre, including the following streets:
- Alma Street
- Broad Green
- Cambridge Street
- Cannon Street (3-20 continuous, 71-74 cont.)
- Church Street
- High Street
- Market Street
- Midland Road (1-67 odd, 22-24 even)
- Orient Way
- Oxford Street (44-61 cont., 1-20 cont)
- Park Road (1-7 odd, 2-18 even)
- Pebble Lane
- Sheep Street
- Silver Street
This is based on the area designated by the Townscape Heritage Initiative, with minor exceptions, as shown on the map.
| Deemed Consent Control Criteria in Existing Advertisement Regulations | Control Criteria in an ASCA |
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Class 2(C). Miscellaneous notices / signs for religious, cultural or similar institutions and for hotels, pubs, flats, clubs, boarding houses, etc. No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.75m in height. | No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.3m in height. |
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Class 3. Temporary Advertisements, usually displayed to publicise a forthcoming event or a short-term use of the advertisement site. No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.75m in height. The highest part of the advertisement to be no more than 4.6m above ground level. |
No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.3m in height. The highest part of the advertisement to be no more than 3.6m above ground level. |
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Class 4. Illuminated Advertisements. Permits the display of advertisements with either internally illuminated letters or characters on an unilluminated background or lit by “halo” illumination. | Class 4 does not extend to any premises in an ASCA. |
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Class 5. Advertisements on Business Premises. A wide variety of signs relating to commercial services including offices, banks, shops, theatres, factories and restaurants. No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.75m in height. The highest part of the advertisement to be no more than 4.6m above ground level. No external face “percentage” restriction. |
No letters, figures, symbols or similar features included in the advertisement may be over 0.3m in height. The highest part of the advertisement to be no more than 3.6m above ground level ground level. The advertisement not to exceed in area 10% of the external face of the building, measured up to a height of 3.6m above ground level.
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Class 8. Advertisements on Hoardings Around Temporary Construction Sites. Permits the display of poster-hoardings screening construction sites while work is in progress. | Class 8 does not extend to any premises in an ASCA. |
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Class 11. Directional Advertisements. House-building firms may erect temporary directional signs showing where development is taking place. Various stipulations attached, but specifically no sign may exceed 4.6m above ground level. | No sign may exceed 3.6m above ground level. |
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Class 15. Captive Balloon Advertisements. One balloon advertisement is allowed provided it is not more than 60m above the ground and not displayed for more than 10 days in any calendar year. | Class 15 does not extend to any premises in an ASCA. |
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Class 16. Advertisements on Telephone Kiosks. An advertisement on the glazed surface of modern (i.e. not from the 1920s / 30s) telephone kiosk is permitted. | Class 16 does not extend to any premises in an ASC. |
Last updated 10 August 2023