Road Sign Policy

Document Control

Table of Contents

1 Why does the Council need this Policy?
2 Application and Scope Statement 
3 Responsibilities
4 Supporting Procedures and Documentation
5 About this policy 
6 Risk 
7 Environmental Implications 
8 Policy Performance
9 Design and Delivery
10 Housekeeping and Maintenance 
11 Communication and Distribution 
12 Information Management
13 Definitions and Understanding this Policy

1 Why does the Council need this Policy?

1.1 This policy seeks to manage discretionary road signs in Aberdeen City as excessive and unnecessary levels of traffic signs can clutter pedestrian areas, become overwhelming for drivers, detract from the character of an area and incur additional maintenance costs.

1.2 This policy is to regulate discretionary signs on the Council’s road network, where there is no specification, there can be inconsistency in approval process. The provision of this policy will help prospective applicants know if they can apply for a sign or not, likewise, officers will be guided on applications to accept or decline.

1.3 Through this policy, Aberdeen City Council being the Local Roads Authority, can review applications from organisations, clubs, groups, tourist centres, housing developers etc. and only approve requests that meet the standard set out in the policy. In the same manner, information relating to the application process will be available to applicants. This policy will provide the public with guidance and information on the criteria needed to apply for a road sign.

1.4 Through this policy Aberdeen City Council wishes to

• Standardise the use of certain sign types throughout the Aberdeen City area
• Regulate the types of destinations that will be considered for permanent signs
• Regulate the overall number of permanent signs provided
• Closely regulate the use of temporary signing
• Reduce the overall impact of signing in high amenity or conservation areas

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2 Application and Scope Statement

2.1 As it will not be appropriate to sign every destination, this policy applies to applicants, any person
or organisation such as religious organisations, educational organisations, various clubs/groups, 
tourist operators, Housing Developers, contractors etc. who wishes to apply for discretionary road 
signs, either permanent or temporary. 

2.2 Under the Roads (Scotland) Act (1984) only Local Roads Authorities may provide or authorise the 
provision of any sign on roads within their area. Hence, Aberdeen City Council being the Local 
Roads Authority is responsible for setting the guidance for siting discretionary signs within the city 
and managing the policy. 

2.3 This policy does not apply to warning, regulatory and general directional signing as they are 
already well regulated by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions. Also, exempted 
from this policy are temporary signs required to indicate works or conditions on the road network, 
local direction signage for local amenities such as, individual businesses or premises, private clubs 
requiring membership and unaccredited tourist attractions

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3 Responsibilities

3.1 Applicants must make an application through the relevant Council webpage, in line with the policy details stated there.

3.2 Applications will be reviewed in relation to the policy. Council officers will respond to applicants within 30 working days. When an application is approved, a response stating conditions for approval will be sent to applicant electronically. When an application is declined, officers will respond to applicant electronically giving reasons why their application has been declined.

3.3 There is also a responsibility upon the Council to ensure that any sign permitted are erected, maintained and removed in a manner that is safe for all road users.

3.4 This policy will be managed by the Roads Infrastructure Manager.

3.5 Signs installed on the Council’s roads without approval or misuse of approved signs are at risk of being removed. Also, signs will be removed at locations where the conditions for which sign was originally installed are no longer fulfilled. When such signs/locations are identified, the cost of their removal (including traffic management requirements and staff cost) along with the reinstatement of the affected footway, verge or carriageway will be provided by the applicant.

3.6 For temporary signs, non-compliance with the terms of this policy may hinder the sign provider from getting approval for future installation of signs on any road in the Aberdeen City area.

3.7 Declined application can be appealed provided the applicant can prove the Road Sign Policy has not been applied in their application process.

3.8 Any signage within Aberdeen City that is suspected to have been illegally installed can be reported to the Council through our website.

3.9 Feedback and suggestions relating to this policy can be communicated to the Team Leader of the Traffic Management and Road Safety team of Aberdeen City Council by writing to TrafficManagement@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

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4 Supporting Procedures and Documentation

Traffic Sign Regulations and General Directions         
Traffic Sign Manual
Traffic Sign Policy (existing)
Local Transport Strategy
LOIP (Local Outcome Improvement Plan)
Net Zero Aberdeen
 

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5 About this policy

5.1    Permanent Signs - General Guidance
All permanent signs will remain the property of the Council who may move, remove or modify as it sees fit, without prior consultation. All signs must comply with the current Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions and guidance in the Traffic Signs Manual. 

Permanent signs such as local direction signs and tourist signs will normally be provided at the applicant’s expense. To reduce sign clutter, Aberdeen City Council reserves the right to refuse any application when there is deemed to be excessive signage or to suggest the rationalising of existing signage when a new local destination is being added. The cost of any rationalisation will be met by the applicant. 

5.2    Permanent Signs - General Requirements 
Local direction signing will only be used where the premises

• is remote from either main roads or bus routes; 
• is not readily apparent from the nearest main road;
• is open to the public during reasonable hours or during predetermined times throughout the year and have the facility for visitors to arrive without requiring membership or being required to pre-book;
• has their own off-street parking facilities with no less than 5 spaces and appropriate provision being made available for disabled parking and active travel modes;
• does not include any wording that could be considered to form an advertisement;
• is regularly attended by visitors, competitors or guests from outwith the area.

5.3    Local Direction Sign

Organisations are encouraged to provide as much information as possible to allow potential visitors to easily find the destination. This can include appropriate directional information on websites or information leaflets.

5.4    Tourist Signing
Tourism is important economically for Aberdeen and as such, aiding visitors to find the attractions they wish to visit is important. Clear and comprehensive signing can therefore help tourists explore the city. The brown tourist signs are standard across the country and provide visitors with the assurance that the destination is part of Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme. 

To be considered eligible for tourist signing, an attraction must comply with the general provisions and meet the following criteria:

Accreditation: 

Eligibility for tourist signing is dependent on the attraction having been accredited by Visit Scotland. This accreditation is only given if attractions demonstrate that they are participating in a relevant Quality Assurance scheme. This accreditation allows the member attraction the right to apply for the nationally recognised brown tourist sign, which in Scotland includes the “Thistle” symbol. Aberdeen City Council will only consider permanent tourist signs that fulfil this accreditation. 

Accreditation should however not be seen by the attraction as a guarantee that signs will be provided. The provision of any sign, the text, the overall design and location of signs will remain solely at the discretion of the Council and must comply with the general provisions. The cost of erecting a tourist sign will be met by the applicant along with its removal if accreditation was to lapse.

5.5    Temporary Signs
In some instances, the provision of permanent signing is not a necessary nor viable option. Such instances could consist of events taking place over a short period of time where the signed destination would not otherwise be considered eligible. 

Temporary signing can be split into two distinct types: 

• Related to works or conditions on the road network
• Related to events remote from the road network. 

Related to works or conditions on the road network. 

This type of temporary sign is provided by Roads Authorities, their contractors, public utility contractors etc for the purpose of imparting important information relating directly to the status of the road network to road users. 

Such signing may be used to indicate the effect of a road closure, diversion or other restrictions
on traffic movement, to direct traffic to, from or around a major event or advise of a change in road layout.  

This policy does not intend to regulate temporary signs related to works or conditions on the road network or impact the responsibility of the Council, or any other parties who currently provide this form of signing.  

Related to events remote from the road network 

These temporary signs are unrelated to the road network and provided solely for the purpose of directing road users to temporary events or destinations which would not be eligible for permanent signing. These signs will be accommodated at the discretion of the Council.  
     
Examples of such instances of when temporary signage may be used include: 

• Temporary events 
• Sporting events
• Open days 
• New housing developments. 

This is the type of temporary signing this policy seeks to regulate. 

Temporary Signing General Provisions

Temporary signing is generally provided by a third party. Under the Roads (Scotland) Act (1984) only Roads Authorities may provide or authorise the provision of any sign on roads within their area. This effectively means that the roads authority must specifically grant permission for each temporary sign before they can be erected around the road network. 
 The temporary signing must also be erected, maintained and removed at no cost to the Council. The sign provider must ensure and bears all responsibility for the sign adhering to the following: 

• Signs are designed and manufactured to the appropriate standards and using appropriate materials
• Signs are mounted safely and securely using the appropriate fixings
• Signs are removed immediately the purpose of its erection is served
• The applicant or sign provider acting on their behalf must be able to demonstrate that they have appropriate insurance in place to indemnify the Road Authority against any damage caused to persons or property as result of the erection of these signs

Where applicable the Council may require the removal or repair of a temporary sign. This request will be made in writing to the relevant provider. If the sign is not removed or repaired within the timeframe specified by the Council, the Council may elect to undertake the necessary work. The Council will seek to recover all costs involved in such work from the sign provider.

Failure to adhere to the terms of this policy, or with any subsequent agreement made between the sign provider and the Council, may preclude the sign provider from any future consent to erect signs on any roads in the Aberdeen City area. 

The provision of any temporary sign will remain entirely at the discretion of the Roads Infrastructure Manager. 
     
Temporary Signing General Guidelines 

• Only events taking place within venues without permanent signing will be considered eligible for temporary signs
• Temporary signing will not be permitted as a means of advertisement. The legend on each sign must be sufficient only to indicate to potential visitors the nature of the event
• Signed destinations should be regularly open to the public. It must be possible for a member of the public to visit the signed destination/take part/use the main facilities without having to make an advanced booking. Exceptions to this will apply if the sign legend specifically indicates otherwise, i.e. “conference”. 
• Temporary signing will not be considered appropriate to purely commercial enterprises. Signs will only be permitted to events or attractions
• Where an event or attraction takes place within commercial premises (Hotels etc.) the sign legend will consist only of the event name, not the name of the premises
• Temporary signing will only be permitted from the nearest arterial route
• All signs must be specifically authorised in writing by the Roads Infrastructure Manager or an appropriate officer nominated on their behalf prior to any sign being erected.

The Roads Infrastructure Manager may vary the above stated policy in the case of major events or in other exceptional circumstance. 

Temporary Signing – Housing Developments 

This type of sign can play an important role in traffic management by directing interested parties to new developments by the most suitable and appropriate routes. Guidance on housing development signs are provided for in the latest version of the TSRGD (2016) as diagram 2701/2701.1 and Traffic Sign Manual (Chapter 1). Previous guidance introduced by then Scottish Office Industry Department gave Councils the authorisation to use such signs and indicated the circumstance in which their use was appropriate. Below is a brief outline of the guidelines:

• Only developments with a minimum of 30 bedrooms will be eligible
• Developers would be required to show special reasons for requiring signs from greater than 0.5 miles, or two junctions from the development
• The signs should only be erected once work has commenced on the site substructures (i.e. roads etc) and should be removed within 3 months of the sale of 80% of the properties
• There should be no cost to the roads authority
• Signs can only be erected by the roads authority unless they specifically authorise an individual developer or external organisation to provide the signs on their behalf.

These guidelines, however, allow developers the flexibility to erect significant numbers of signs around their development. It is therefore proposed that the following guidelines should also be applied to this type of sign. 

Temporary Signing – Housing Developments Additional Aberdeen City Council Provisions 

• All signs must be specifically authorised in writing by the Roads Infrastructure Manager or an appropriate council officer as nominated by them
• Developers will be required to submit an anticipated sign removal date with their application, if less than 6 months, and to advise the Council of any revision to that date. Unless otherwise agreed all signs will be required to be removed by this initial date
• The developer or sign provider acting on their behalf must be able to demonstrate that they have appropriate insurance in place to indemnify the Road Authority against any damage caused to persons or property as result of the erection of these signs
• No sign will be permitted to bear the name or logo of the developer, only the name of the development will be permitted
• Signs will only be permitted from the nearest main road
• Sign size should be minimised wherever possible and the size of the signs proposed must be included as part of the application
• No sign greater than 0.3 metres² will be permitted on any lighting column
• The minimum mounting height for any sign located above a footway will be 2.35 metres, or 2.40 metres if above a cycleway/shared used footways
• All signs must comply with the latest Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions in terms of general layout and with the Traffic Signs Manual in terms of design, materials used and placement on street
• Directional signage with the house symbol (TSRGD diag. 2701) will only be permitted a maximum of 5 days before the completion of works to the development show home and when the site is open to the public
• Prior to this time, signage will only be permitted for site construction traffic. Signs of this nature must feature the lorry symbol (TSRGD diag. 804.1). Signing of this type will only be permitted a maximum of one week prior to the start of construction on the development and must be removed on completion of the show home, whereby visitor signage as described above should be erected where permission has been granted.
• Signing will only be permitted for a maximum duration of 6 months (as stated in Traffic Sign Manual) or completion of the construction of the development, whichever is earlier. Extensions may be requested to the Traffic Management and Road Safety Team but only up to the maximum of 18 months.

Where a developer fails to properly design, erect, maintain or remove when required any sign permitted under the terms of this policy, or erects additional signage above which permission has been granted for, the developer will be required to make the necessary alterations or repairs or removal of unauthorised signing at their own cost within a timeframe specified by the Council. Failure to do so will result in the works being undertaken by the Council and a fixed charge issued to the developer to cover the costs incurred. 
 

Temporary Signing – Charges

Each temporary sign granted permission will be charged as follows

The charge will cover the cost incurred by the Council of: 

• All administration required as part of the authorisation process 
• An inspection of signs once erected to ensure that they comply with this policy and appropriate legislation
• An inspection of the sign locations to ensure that the signs have been removed once their purpose has been served.

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6 Risk

6.1 This policy and its supporting documentation will manage the following risks:

Strategic Risk
The introduction of this policy will ensure compliance with the Aberdeen City Council’s Local Transport Strategy (LTS) (2016-2021). The vision of LTS is to develop “A sustainable transport system that is fit for the 21st Century, accessible to all, supports a vibrant economy, facilitates healthy living and minimises the impact on our environment”. Managing discretional signs will ensure clear and efficient signing on our road network, signs to the correct standard, unambiguous, easy to understand and correctly located. This will assist a sustainable transport system. In addition, the effective signing of destinations will result in a safer road network as it will reduce road safety related risks and risks to pedestrians.

Compliance Risks
With this policy and its supporting documentation, the risk of non-compliance with the Traffic Sign Manual will be eliminated. The coming into effect of this policy will ensure Aberdeen City Council carries out its responsibilities as set out in the Traffic Sign Manual.

Environmental/Climate Risk
Signing locations that might not otherwise be seen from the main road reduces the risk of traffic congestion and mileage wastage that may occur when a destination cannot be found. This consequently reduces environmental/climate risk as vehicular carbon emission will be minimized.

Reputational Risks
The existing process of approving signs makes it impossible to decline some applications and sometimes, this results in sign clutter. As this policy details who can apply for signs and the conditions that must be met, applicants will be informed at the point of applying if they qualify for a sign or not. This will therefore ensure consistency in the decision Officers make. As a result, reputational damage that could result from inconsistency in the conditions for approving a sign is averted. The introduction of this policy update might unintentionally dissuade organisations, groups and clubs intending to apply for signs due to funds required for the erection of traffic signs.

6.2 Risk monitoring
Officers intend to monitor the risks identified above through site inspections and reliance on members of the public. Members of the public have been instrumental in reporting issues around the road network; defected, damaged and suspicious road signs can be reported to the Traffic Management Team by phone, email or through Aberdeen City Council’s website. In terms of Temporary Signs, Officers will carry out site inspection to the location to ensure compliance to the terms and conditions surrounding the approval of the sign are met. Based on the Council’s risk register, the risk will be monitored at operational level.

6.3 The terms for installing traffic signs within this policy indemnifies the Council from applicants who wish Aberdeen City Council to cover the cost for installing signs. This policy clearly states that, the cost for erecting any sign will be met by the applicant.

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7 Environmental Implications

7.1 The effective implementation of this policy will bring about a safe road environment void of sign clutter that could potentially confuse drivers and other road users, it will also prevent environmental intrusion. This can indirectly prevent the danger of road collision and damage to road infrastructure.

7.2 In line with the Council’s targets of net zero emissions by 2045, the implementation of this policy could contribute to achieving this target as appropriate signing will guide drivers to their destination, reduce traffic congestion and the risk of excessive emissions that could emanate from a journey where destination is obscured or not visibly seen from the main road.

7.3 This policy does not require an Environmental Assessment.

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8 Policy Performance

8.1 A reduction in customer complaints relating to the application process for signages, traffic sign related complaint from road users and pedestrians, road collision resulting from inadequate signage, customer complaint relating to declined applications are some of the factors that will determine whether the policy is effective and adds the intended value. Also, uniformity of traffic signs throughout our road network is another indicator of the success of this policy.

8.2 The number and type of comments/complaints received from road users, customers, third parties, colleagues etc. pertaining to road signs will serve as indicators for monitoring the performance of this policy.

8.3 Information relating to the performance of this policy or any identified risk will be reported by an appointed Roads Officer as soon as they are received to the Team Leader of the Traffic Management and Development Team at the earliest team meeting.

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9 Design and Delivery

The implementation of this policy will contribute to Aberdeen City Council’s Net Zero emission target as drivers will get clear direction to their destinations thereby reducing travel time and consequently reduce carbon emission. This policy will therefore be supporting Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) objective to address carbon emission in the city.

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10 Housekeeping and Maintenance

Roads Officers will review this policy annually. In the review process, factors that will be considered include, changes or updates to existing road legislation, sign related comments received from road users, any complaints. Officers will also consider suggestions or comments from customers relating to the policy and/or application process. Should an update to this policy be necessary, Officers will report this to the Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee.

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11 Communication and Distribution

This policy will be made available on the Aberdeen City Council’s website along with the form for applying for discretionary signs. Organisations, businesses, clubs, groups or anyone who wishes to apply for a discretionary sign will first view the policy to ensure they qualify for a sign before submitting their application.

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12 Information Management

The information generated by the application of the policy will be managed in accordance with the Council’s Corporate Information Policy and supporting Procedures.

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13 Definitions and Understanding this policy

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