planning permission…

[Warren Beard]

It’s up to the customer to check and do what they need to do if anything, I have it in my T’s & C’s and always advise customer they must seek approval if required.

You will have to give them some information to submit for permission but that is just part of the job.

Cheers

Warren

[Martin Pearson]

David your right you should really know, if not in great detail at least enough that you can put your customers on the right track. As Warren has already said it is the customers responsibility but most won’t know it’s required so I always advise them. If they then go ahead then good if they don’t then I will still carry out any work I am requested to do.
What the council will accept varies from council to council, I guess they all have their own take on interpreting the regulations. An example round this way is lighting, almost anything with a trough light will get passed but try using spotlights and they don’t like it.
I will see if I can dig out some links that will give you a bit more info on the subject. Got some stuff kicking about up at the unit.

[Phill Fenton]

I agree with Warren – It’s the customers responsibility. I do try and advise though by always explaining that planning permission may be required – best to check with their planning dept.

I recall on one occasion advising a client who was opening a shop in a location that I knew the planners were very particular about. I advised him that the type of sign he was requesting was unlikely to get planning permission. However, he elected to go ahead anyway (and the timescale he had for opening meant there was no way a planning application would have been approved in time). A week or so later I was back at the shop fitting the sign when a passer by asked me what I was doing…

What does it look like – I’m putting a sign up (I said, trying not to sound too exasperated):roll: …… But it turned out he was a planning officer for the area 😳

I pointed him in the direction of the shop owner and hung about trying not to look too shifty while they debated. Long story short – he wasn’t allowed to use the sign 😕

[David Hammond]

In some ways I wish hadn’t got my terms and conditions printed on the back of my invoice/quote stationery. I might be running them through the xerox to add another paragraph.

Or maybe have a letter drafted explaining they will require to contact the relevant planning authority, and I won’t be liable. I will even offer appropiate scale drawings of the sign for free.

I am glad its not something we do on behalf of the client.

[Graeme Harrold]

Got the disclaimer on my T&C’s. I will point in the direction of the planning guide, but thats it. Too much hassle to get involved.

If its 1 for 1 I dont bother

[Colin Bland]

I Have a line in my Ts &Cs which says its the clients responsibility to obtain all necessary permissions from Local authorities, landlords and any other interested parties.

Having said that I always try to have the conversation with them as well so that they are aware of the risks etc – It never ceases to amaze me when they say oh we have already met with 2 or 3 other sign companies and they didnt mention it.

On the point of Ts and Cs ive never had them properly printed onto anything – allows for some changes along the way – Im always finding something new to include

:lol1:

[David Rogers]

Always the clients responsibility to seek permission.

I’ll help them out with drawings etc for the planning dept. but it’s not my business wanting the signs so why would I get involved on their behalf?

Recently fell foul of a customer that had been told by his architect (buck passing) that WE should have approached planning for him…
…we simply advised him that we do that for NOBODY, not even national companies worth billions so not to take it personally but his architect was talking crap.

We’re going to introduce a note on our next batch of job sheets re. planning permissions…just to avoid confusion later.