New signage rules in force

Businesses with sandwich boards on footpaths and sign-written vehicles parked up in prominent places for lengthy periods are receiving visits from QLDC staff to let them know that the new signage rules in the District Plan have come into force.

The rules are simpler, easier to understand, and in many instances have made it easier to obtain consent, as long as applicants comply with the underlying principles.

One of the activities which has been attracting attention from the Council’s compliance staff relates to sign-written vehicles and trailers that are parked in highly visible places for advertising purposes for hours or days at a time. That kind of semi-permanent advertising signage is prohibited under the new rules, unless the owner can show that the vehicle is parked up in public view for a legitimate reason.

The Council is also clamping down on sandwich boards and other footpath signs that aren’t on private land or are bigger than the rules allow.

The new rules, which came into effect as part of Plan Change 48, balance the needs of businesses to advertise with protecting views, keeping the footpaths clear for pedestrians, and avoiding visual clutter.

ends

© Scoop Media