Signs for tourist attractions and facilities

For application vetting purposes, the wide range of attractions and facilities eligible for signing have criteria common to all. In addition, there are specific-type criteria. 

Decisions on signing individual establishments will depend on local circumstances.  This includes the number of other similar establishments in the area. In all cases, the issue of road safety is paramount.  Road safety will always be the key factor in the decision-making process. 

It is important to note that eligibility does not mean automatic sign entitlement.

Common criteria

All attractions and facilities must: 

• be permanently established
• provide evidence of regular publicity or advertising, including their: 
  • locations 
  • opening times 
  • how to find them (as appropriate, map or directional information) 
• have sufficient on-site or satisfactory off-site parking to accommodate the number of visitors expected.  If off-site parking is used, the direction signs will direct road users to the parking facilities rather than the destination. In the latter case, additional pedestrian signing may be required. 
• be open to visitors making impulse visits within normal opening hours, not just those who have made prior bookings. 
• provide visitor facilities adequate for the size, location and type of operation. Public toilets must be available and meet: 
  • the needs of people with disabilities 
  • all district council environmental health standards 

• have necessary planning permission and any required licences
• must comply with prevailing relevant tourist industry quality standards
• not have any off-highway directional advertisement signs. Brown tourism signs may be regarded as superfluous and not permitted if: 
• an approved off-highway advertisement or directional entrance signing already exists or can be approved, and 
• such signing can be clearly seen by approaching drivers
• have approach roads capable of carrying any additional generated traffic. District and parish councils will have the opportunity to comment on all applications for tourism signs.  Planning applications will be referred to where necessary.  They may input into any issues that are likely to raise environmental, economic, or local concerns. Sign positioning will adhere with any known planning conditions. 
• unless specified differently under ‘additional criteria for attractions’, be open for at least fifty days per year and not less than four hours per day.  Venues that don’t meet this requirement because they are seasonal may still be considered for signing.  For more information see purpose and extent of signing. 

Additional criteria for attractions

1.  All attractions, except those listed in (2) and (3), must be members of a relevant tourist body and signed up to any visitor charters or visitor quality systems operated by those organisations.  For example:

• Visit Lincoln
• Visit Lincolnshire
• Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service run by Visit England

2.  Churches requesting brown tourism signs, should: 

• actively be promoted as a tourism venue
• provide tourism or visitor promotional material
• should be open to impulse visitors, without prior booking, during normal opening hours

Membership of a church conservation or tourism organisation such as The Churches Conservation Trust will be considered for tourism signing.

If the church ‘parents’ a smaller church of historical interest that is not normally open, it should also provide directional and contact information for that church. 

We will consider churches with the main function of providing services to the public for standard black and white highway direction signs.  The applicant will need to pay the costs. 

3.  Leisure facilities must be associated with sports or activities. Leisure activities usually associated with public houses or drinking establishments will not be considered for signing.

Cinemas, theatres and public buildings used for stage events will be considered for signing. Theatres must have a licence in accordance with The Theatres Act 1968.

We may consider co-ordinated historic town or attraction signing where several venues exist at or near one location. Normally, the applicant or lead for this type of generic sign would be:

• business improvement groups
• parish, town or district councils

If these organisations are not already involved we will consult with them. We will also consult with National Highways for signs on trunk roads. 

Additional criteria for facilities

Hotels, bed and breakfast and self-catering facilities

These facilities must:

• provide evidence that they are recognised, assessed, and inspected by either Visit England, or the AA.  We use Rated Trips to verify this. 
• hotels and bed and breakfasts should have a minimum number of rooms (these numbers may be flexible in remote rural areas):
  • hotels should have ten rooms
  • bed and breakfasts should have five rooms
• self-catering, including cottages, holiday flats and static caravans must have a minimum of five letting units. 

Touring caravan and camping site facilities

These establishments must:

• provide evidence of being licensed under the:
  • Caravan Sites Control of Development Act 1960 or
  • Public Health Act 1961
• have a minimum of twenty pitches for casual overnight use
• establishments must provide evidence that they are recognised, assessed, and inspected by either Visit England, or the AA.  We use Rated Trips to verify this 
• other quality assurance schemes will be considered provided there is evidence that the venue is inspected

 Public houses, restaurants, and café (tearoom)

These facilities must:

• be registered with the district council under the Food Safety Act 1990
• serve meals (not just snacks) throughout the day or at lunchtime and in the evening for at least six days a week and six months of the year
• be willing to accommodate children

Drinking-only establishments will only be considered for signing if they are:

• of genuine historical tourist interest
• involved in brewing, provide tours or demonstrations, and are recognised as a tourist attraction by VisitEngland or AA. We use Rated Trips to verify this. 

Where tea rooms are co-located with garden centres, only the tea rooms will be considered for signing.  The legend used on signs will reflect this and should be considered by applicants when submitting evidence, particularly advertising and promotional material. 

Small-community facilities (shops and post offices)

Village stores (incorporating post office facilities) in small and remote areas are highly valued by those communities.  We recognise that they can often provide a hub for online deliveries to be collected from and there will be genuine reasons for needing to locate the store for the first time. Brown signing is not an appropriate sign type, and any form of signing must not be regarded as advertising.   

We may consider black on white directional signs depending on the location.  The applicant will need to pay any costs. 

Towns and large villages which have several facilities 

Co-ordinated generic signing may be appropriate if a number of facilities of any type exist in any town, village, or location. 

The town or village must have several facilities, and public car parking should be available. The aim is to co-ordinate a signing schemes for all facilities available, regardless of compliance with the tourism signs guidelines and application process. It is often a good idea to draft a signing strategy that will set out an agreement for:

• what type of venues will be signed
• who has the say in changing sign legend going forward
• who will pay for any future changes to signs
• liability for maintenance when different sign types are used

For example: 

• Where car parking facilities are available, we will work with the car park owner (usually the town or district council) to provide direction signs from the nearest suitable approach road.  The application will need to pay for any costs.
• Wayfinder signs would then be considered at strategic locations to assist visitors locate facilities, after parking in a public car park. This type of sign is expected to be owned and maintained by either the district, town or parish council.  It does not need to meet highway standards for signing. This provides flexibility of wayfinder sign design, colour, and legend. Where wayfinder signs are located off-highway planning permission may be required.  Where wayfinder signs are located within the highway boundary a licence agreement with Lincolnshire Highways is required. Any public enquiries relating to this type of signing would be directed to the parish or town council. This type of sign is not owned by Lincolnshire County Council but we would licence its use in the highway as necessary. 
• Tourism signs to an individual attraction or facility may still be considered when it:
• is remote from the town or village centre
• is difficult to find
• benefits from its own car parking and facilities

The tourism sign vetting procedure and application process must be undertaken for each individually signed attraction or facility.   

In towns and villages, generic worded signing will be considered as alternative to individual facility signing.  For example, references to a town centre may include toilets, hotels, restaurants and shopping.  

Bypassed community and village or town entrance signing 

Bypassed community and community entrance signing can be considered instead of individual facility signing. This signing will consist of recognised symbols of facilities or attractions available within a town or village. Signs would be placed on a bypass or main approach road(s) to the community. Quite often the existing village or town boundary sign will be replaced with a design that is permitted to include recognised tourism symbols. 

An application for this type of sign must be submitted by the town or parish council and the district council will be consulted with to ensure they support the application. 

All costs must be met by the applicant. 

It is not necessary to have individual direction signs within the community but if a venue is difficult to find an application for individual signs can also be submitted.  

There is no requirement to undergo a five-year re-vetting process for bypassed community and village or town entrance signs.  However, applicants are encouraged to ensure that all symbolically recognised venues continue to contribute positively to the visitor experience. Any public enquiries relating to the venues symbolically indicated on this type of sign will be directed to the parish or town council to respond to. The parish or town council is expected to report when any symbol is no longer required so they can be removed from the sign. We may remove the sign if:

• we decide a sign is no longer adequately reflecting the facilities
• it becomes damaged to the point where it creates a hazard in the highway

If the parish or town council wish to see signs replaced, they will need to submit a new application, and pay for replacement signs.