The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) provide details of what temporary traffic signs may look like, what they may convey and where and how they may be placed on or near roads in England and Wales.
Section 132 of the Highways Act 1980 states that anything placed on the highway without lawful authority is an offence and can be removed.
Permission to erect sign(s) will be issued to a suitable signing organisation or a developer.
If the licensee objects to any of the following conditions of the licence, the licensee may appeal to a Magistrates’ Court within 21 days of the date of receipt of the licence.
The licensee is responsible for ensuring that the sign(s) are in line with the conditions, are properly erected and maintained, and do not create a nuisance to the highway user.
Conditions
All work undertaken in connection with the provision of the sign(s) shall comply with the requirements of design standards (including TSRGD, Traffic Signs Manual and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations).
The size of letters should be within the recommendations of Local Transport Note 1/94.
The licensee shall, to a minimum of £5 million, indemnify the County Council against any claim whatsoever against the County Council which may arise because of or in connection with the erection or removal of the sign(s).
Signs must not be erected until permission is granted and only once work starts on the site substructures (sewers, connecting roads, etc.).
Personnel involved in the erection of the signs must hold appropriate Signing, Lighting and Guarding accreditation in accordance with the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. The licensee must ensure that, as a minimum:
One accredited supervisor is appointed. The supervisor is not required to be on site at all times but must be able to attend site within 2 hours if required
At least one accredited operative is on site at all times whil works are underway.
Each sign must have a sticker or similar fixed to the back of the sign to enable easy identification of the signage company.
Extender poles must not be used to install signage.
The signs must be taken down
within three months of the sale of 80% of the properties; or
within three months fromt he completion of the development; or
after 6 months from the date of the licence, assuming a renewal has not been submitted and approved; whichever is the shorter period
In the case of a phased development, where there is a significant gap between work finishing on one stage and starting on the next, the signs should be taken down or covered up once the majority of properties have been sold.
A sign should not be mounted such that it obscures a driver’s view of any permanent traffic sign. No part of the sign should be less than 450 mm from the edge of carriageway, normally less than 2300 mm above a footway (2100 mm minimum) and less than 2500 mm above a cycleway.
The signs should be securely and neatly fixed and where possible this should be on existing street furniture. This should be without damage to the street furniture; the repair of any damage being met by the company erecting the signs.
Signs are not permitted on the central island of a roundabout.
No sign with an area exceeding 0.6 m2 should be fixed to a lamp column.
If fixing to a lamp column, only one sign is to be fixed and a rubber preventative band between the bracket and sign must be used.
No sign should be attached to private apparatus without the permission of the owner being obtained.
The signs and fixings shall be maintained in a safe condition during the period of display and should be checked periodically with an appropriate record kept.
The council will report insecure sign(s) to the company responsible for the erection of the sign. If there is an immediate danger to the travelling public the sign will be made safe and an appropriate charge made on the company for time and materials required to make the sign safe.
No other signing or fly posting should be provided for the development (failure to comply with this may result in the removal of all the signs for the development).
The licensee is responsible for ensuring that the signs are kept free from fly posting and graffiti. Once notified, any occurrences must be removed within 48 hours. Failure to do so may result in the licence being revoked, the Council arranging removal and recharging the cost to the licensee.
During the period when the sign is displayed, the Council retain the right to remove or alter the position of signs at its own expense if they judge that there are legitimate traffic management or road safety grounds to do so. This shall apply even after the locations have been agreed with the sign provider.
The Council may remove signs that are not erected in the agreed position and will recharge the cost to the licensee
Signs may also require amending, or removal to comply with the Council’s policy, in that “Where more than two developers wish to be signed from the same junction in the same direction generic signing will be used.” This will apply even when adding to existing signing at a junction and the existing signing will be changed accordingly at the cost of the new developer.