Apply to put a banner across the highway

Use this page to apply to hang a banner across the highway or on a building or land we are responsible for.

If you wish to put up a cross-street banner, or display a banner on a building or land, you will need permission from our Highway Maintenance and Development Management teams.

Items erected purely for commercial advertising will not be permitted.

The process

The highways permission process can take 2 weeks, but please note that obtaining advertisement consent can take up to 8 weeks.

1. Step 1:

   Sometimes you might need permission from the building or land owner to put up a flag, banner or similar item, so please ensure you have this before you apply.

2. Step 2:

   You may need to apply for advertisement consent to display an advertisement bigger than 0.3 square metres on the front of, or outside of a property (be it a house or business premises). The planning portal website explains in more detail about the different types of notices and banners and requirements. Applying for consent is also done through the Planning Portal website. Advertising consent can take up to 8 weeks.

   Safety

   Your banner or flag must not:

   • Endanger anyone using any road, pavement, railway, waterway, dock, harbour or aerodrome (civil or military)
   • Obscure or hinder any traffic sign, railway signal or aid to navigation by water or air
   • Hinder the operation of any device used for the purpose of security or surveillance or for measuring the speed of any vehicle
   • Impair the visual amenity of the site (includes the banner/flag as well as the site itself)
   • Endanger the public (includes any structure or hoarding used to display banners/flags)
   • Endanger the public or impair visual amenity if your banner/flag is required under these regulations to be removed (includes the condition of the site)

   Permitted sizes and materials of banners and flags

   All banners and flags should be PVC ripstop.

   Cross-street banner

   Height from the ground should be 15m. Width: 7m x height: 1m. Maximum height of individual letters or logos: 80cm.

   Pendant banner (triangular)

   Height from the ground should be 2.3m. Width: 60cm x height: 120cm. Maximum height of individual letters or logos: 60cm.

   Vertical banner

   Height from the ground should be 2.3m. Width: 80cm x height: 200cm. Maximum height of individual letters or logos: 80cm.

   Lamp columns have different sizes of circumference and so need different lengths of cable tie or other fixing to secure your banners or flags to. Fixings should be firmly secured to avoid risk of tampering or working loose in high wind.

    

   Banners in Bath city centre

   There is planning permission in place to hang banners and flags in certain areas of Bath city centre, so you don't need to apply to planning for consent in these places. The following table provides more information.

   Permitted areas for hanging banners and flags

   Location	Type of banner	Details	Number permitted
   Milsom Street	Cross street banner	Affixed to a wall anchor on either side of the street	1
   Brunel Square	Pendant banners (triangular)	Affixed to street lamps	6
   Southgate Street	Pendant banners (triangular)	Affixed to street lamps 7 lamps along the centre of the street, each with a cross bar with a lamp suspended from either end of the cross bar - 2 pendant banners can be hung from each column.	14
   Churchill Bridge	Pendant banners (triangular)	Affixed to street lamps	4
   Riverside Park foot and cycle path	Pendant banners (triangular)	Affixed to street lamps	4
   Abbey/High Street/Orange Grove	Vertical banners	Affixed to street lamps. Check the location map to ensure that you use the permitted lamps.	7
   Manvers Street  and Terrace Walk north side	Vertical banners	Affixed to street lamps. Please refer to the location map to ensure that you use the permitted lamp columns. The older wrought iron columns are not permitted. 3 permitted on Manvers Street and 1 for Terrace Walk north side.	4
   Manvers Street	Vertical banners	2 temporary sites either side of the entrance to Manvers Street car park, for the event organiser’s own freestanding, temporary flag stands which must be stable and secured, and removed at the end of the booked period.	2 (temp)
   James Street West	Vertical banners	Affixed to street lamps	3

   Duration of a banner

   • Each banner or flag can stay up for a maximum of three weeks at each location
   • Display per location is permitted for a maximum of six weeks, depending on availability (for example, two x three-week displays can follow one another to total six weeks)
   • A maximum of sixteen weeks total display period per year per location.

   These arrangements potentially enable the following:

   • A maximum of 16 different events or festivals could each display their banners and flags for one week during the year.
   • Two event organisers could book 3 weeks each consecutively = 6 weeks
   • Six event organisers could book 7 days each consecutively = 6 weeks
   • One event organiser could book 3 continuous weeks
   • Two event organisers could share locations during the same period.

   We recommend that you consult with other event organisers to discuss dates and agree how to plan your bookings. The booking process is operated on a first come, first served basis and no exceptions or special arrangements can be made.

3. Step 3:

   You will need to apply to our our Highways Maintenance team for permission to put a banner up. There is an administrative fee of £59 for this application which is non-refundable and non-transferrable.

   We recommend you book as far in advance as possible (the booking process is operated on a first come, first served basis), and we will let you know if your preferred dates are available.

   You should also consult with other event organisers to discuss dates and agree how to plan your bookings, especially if the date of your event is close to another event. To learn more, you can download conditions to erect banners

   To apply, download the application form. Use the button to download the form as a word document or use the link below to get a PDF.

   Download the banner application form as a PDF.

   Attaching banners to street lighting columns

   Street lighting columns are only designed to hold banners sized 0.3m² or smaller.

   If you need a banner larger than this attached to a lighting column, we would have to consider either creating a purpose built column, or carry out structural testing.

   You need to give us at least 3 months notice in the year the banners are needed for either of these options.

   We can work with Parish Councils, Town Councils, Residents Associations, and Chambers of Commerce to enable safe and sufficient attachments to street lighting columns to be applied.

   Further details on structural testing

   Companies that specialize in testing can be hired to check if columns are strong enough to handle more weight. They will apply weight to the column based on the size of the attachment and make sure it's safe. You will need to pay for the testing and any changes that need to be made to the column.

    

   This is to ensure that public safety is maintained.

4. Step 4:

   If your application is successful you must let the chief constable know when you add and remove your banner. If your banner is in Bath, you need to install suitable anchor bolts. The process can take up to 2 weeks.

   Putting up and taking down banners

   Only personnel or contractors with the appropriate safety qualifications to work at height must put up and take down banners - we recommend Bath Business Improvement District (BID) as they have the right equipment, qualified personnel, and can provide this service at a reasonable price. Email info@bathbid.co.uk or call 01225 43 06 40

   Feather flags

   If used on public land or highway, you will need to get planning permission with advertising consent. If used on private land or indoors, you don't need this.

   Further details on feather flags

   Feather flags are portable, temporary structures, 3m high. The flag has a wide seam which is fed over a slim aluminium and fibreglass pole, and the pole is fixed into a water-filled base.

   Feather flags can be used indoors or outdoors, and the pole can alternatively be fixed to a secure structure using cable-ties or similar fixings. The pole can also be fixed to a spike for insertion into the ground, but this is not recommended unless a scan has been undertaken to check for utilities cables and pipes below the surface.

   You can loan base and pole sets from the Bath BID office. They have 18 sets available with carry-cases, and the poles are supplied in sections, but you will need to supply your own flags (we recommend 110gm polyester fabric).

   Emailinfo@bathbid.co.uk or call 01225 43 06 40

   For more information download our guide to applying to put up banners and flags.

   To apply, download Banners and flags application form as a Word document or Banners and flags application form (PDF) 

5. Step 5:

   Get Public Liability Insurance of up to £5,000,000.

Banners will only be approved where the advertising message is not of a commercial nature. 

You will need to provide us with a copy of your public liability insurance certificate which indemnifies us (the council) against any loss or damage that may be caused through the attachment of such banners.

For further information contact us using our online form