Display Boards
Display and advertising boards may be essential for businesses which operate within the general Conservation Area, however planning permission is required and the criteria which are followed by the Planning Authority are designed to ensure that visual amenity is not impaired by unsuitable designs, colours or excessive size. This is especially important within the Conservation Area but the same rules also apply in undesignated areas.
It is virtually impossible to give comprehensive guidance in leaflet form and Ryedale District Council encourages informal preliminary discussions with all applicants prior to the submission of an application. They should be given as much information as possible with regard to the size, colouring and wording of the proposed sign. Indications should also be given regarding the siting of the sign bearing in mind that a request to fix such signs to listed buildings may well result in the application being refused. Requests for illuminated signs, especially within a Conservation area, do not generally seem to meet with approval.
Apart from the above requirements any roadside signs may well require approval from the Highway Authority from the point of view of road safety. Signs which are considered to be a distraction to drivers may be refused on road safety grounds. Other road safety factors may also be taken into account if the sign affects visibility at junctions or on bends.
The road safety aspect of such signs will normally be taken up by the Planning Department as part of their considerations for the application in general.