Projecting Signs – Design Guidance

Projecting signs should be sympathetic to the design of the building where they are to be displayed and respect fascia signage. Box signs should be located at fascia level and are generally best situated at the end of the fascia. Hanging signs may be acceptable at first floor level and are generally best situated in a central position between windows. To reduce visual clutter, a projecting sign will generally only be acceptable where there is no other projecting advertisement such as a canopy, awning, flag or horizontal banner. Internal illumination should preferably be in the form of individually backlit letters (halo illumination). Where external illumination is proposed, trough lighting is preferred with the trough painted out. Illuminated projecting signs are generally unacceptable immediately adjacent to a neighbouring residential property. Projecting signs should generally project no more than 1 metre including fixings, with a maximum end width of no more than 0.1m in the case of a box sign. In the interests of public safety, projecting signs should be a minimum of 2.25m above ground level. Projecting signs are generally located at ground floor near the business entrance but can be placed at first floor level so long as they are sympathetic to the host building.