council complaints over hanging sign

[Paul Franklin]

Haven’t had this identical problem, but we always ask the client if they have sought planning permission or advertising consent from their local council. If yes, and they have it, no problem. If no, I get them to sign a waiver to say that they will take all responsibility for these signs being erected. It’s rarely you get any bother, but it does happen on occasion.

[Bill Dewison]

It’s bureaucracy gone mad, nothing new there then 😕 No doubt there will be a lady or gentleman who is very pleased with themselves for pointing that out to your customer, and wielding a bit of power by insisting your customer changes the sign for something more ‘inkeeping’ 🙄

We had a push a while ago funded by the Coalfield Challenge, basically to ‘improve’ the look of the local area. For the main part, it worked really well, but the group who put forward the suggestions of just how far it should go may have been a little OTT at times, insisting on certain colour schemes etc. That would be great if every shopkeeper was involved in the scheme, but because it was not compulsory, there were certain shops that chose not to take part and its ended up with a real mish mash of signage and shop fronts along a particular stretch.

Unfortunately if the council insist on the change from metal to wood, it would be quite difficult to disagree with them 😕 Maybe a compromise could be to mount the metal sign onto wood, and add a wooden fram. This could satisfy both the customer and the council (?)

Cheers, Dewi

[CAT]

Nothing satisfies councils Dewi.

[Lee Harris]

Hi

Did a wall sign for our local restaurant – it the one that CJ works at – you know, the same CJ who’s birthday it was in April and got a very, very large tiger print at Sign UK show – and in my opinion that the building would look better if all the greenery was removed. Was told that because it was a listed building the greenery was part of the building and had to stay.

I believe that what ever is attached to the building at the time of it ‘being listed’ has to stay, so in AJ’s case if the sign was wood when the building was listed then any replacement has to be of wood….

Regards
Lee

[Phill Fenton]

This is another major source of irritation to me.

I generally turn down any requests to quote for signs on a listed building as it’s generally more trouble than it’s worth. Obtaining planning permision is more time consuming than doing the actual work.

Still it keeps some overpaid, bloated, “pension counting”, “sick day counting”, lazy, idle, “Jobsworth”, civil servant in work and off the unemployment register. So maybe I should try to be more charitable 😕

[Simon Clayton]

What do you mean by budget sign??
Is it metal swing sign with scroll work gallows bracket, or just an aluminimum square type sign screw direct to the wall..?
Being a listed building or even if it was just in a village type setting i would only use a gallows type wall bracked with swing sign panel (not wood panel that is), as that is more in keeping with the area

Simon

[Bill Dewison]

quote rightsigns:

Still it keeps some overpaid, bloated, “pension counting”, “sick day counting”, lazy, idle, “Jobsworth”, civil servant in work and off the unemployment register. So maybe I should try to be more charitable 😕

Classic! :lol1: :lol1:

Cheers, Dewi

[Alan Drury]

Rightsigns – I think you give these people too much credit, most of them should’nt be allowed out on their own let alone a job which may effect people.
Alan

[A Misselbrook]

I’ll try and get a picture! then you can see what I mean! Its the customers choice of sign with my design on it. Its a flat metal rectangle bent over at the end and bolted straight to the wall. I would have personally gone for a nice frame with a wooden sign but at the end of the day you are guided by the customer! They pays the money!

[Simon Clayton]

To be honest mate, i don’t blame the council, (if its the one I’m thinking of) Its like taking a 1920s vintage car and sticking racing stripes and wide wheels on it… very tasteful.

As i have said in the past, i think the councils should get more involved, as they do with building control.
I feel it should fit in with the local area, where i live its a little villagey place, and sticking up cheap foamex signs (black on white type of thing) or flashing neon should be banned.. There are places/high streets that can take that sort of sign and places that can’t, yet most signmakers will stick up cheap tatt just to get a job out of it.. and the council don’t say anything about it

I’m not having a go at anyone here, hope its not come across that way, but i feel this should be tackled.. Imho i think all signs should have to have planning permision..

Simon

[A Misselbrook]

If I was to do the sign to ‘fit in’ that would mean foamex, warping and waving in the wind, vinyl shrinking in the sun and plastic cracking and fading in the sun…but seeing as im trying to improve the area I decided upon gold leaf and paint. The council need to stop shops like the co-op and woolworths destroying the shops that they go into, both inside and out…they need to have their fascias sympathetically written, hopefully hand lettered!
I like the idea of a vintage car with wide wheels and racing stripes…as long as they are painted…mate.

[Simon Clayton]

If that’s whats all around, then i can’t see what there on about….? unless all the other buildings are modern.

But that’s what i mean, you make a sign sympathetic to the surroundings, using traditional methods and they blast ya for it, yet the other signmaker down the road puts up 3mm foamex black block text on white panel..

I do feel its up to us, as signmakers to help the public get a better designed sign and help bring the area up to how they would have been in the past…..
The other day i quoted a job, he wanted white perspex panels with black text… (Hardware shop) with a little help from me he has ended with cream panels chocalate brown text with coffee coloured drop shadows, for about the same price… will post a pic when its up.
I think it will look a hundred times better than black and white

Simon