Signs for tourist attractions and facilities

Introduction

This document sets out our guidelines and procedures for signing tourist attractions and facilities.

The Department for Transport guidance dictates the establishments that can be considered for brown tourist signing.  It also: 

  • requires us to have our own policy
  • publish guidance for prospective applicants

The policy aims to: 

  • control the total number of signs and street furniture, where appropriate 
  • improve the visual environment

The policy places great emphasis on these criteria when dealing with tourist signing: 

  • the quality of attractions and facilities 
  • environmental awareness when dealing with the investigation and provision of signs 
  • Lincolnshire’s own special needs and requirements regarding maintaining and promoting tourism in the county
  • the safe and efficient movement of traffic on the highway network 

We review and update the guidance as circumstances dictate. 

Tourist attraction or facility

Tourist attractions or facilities are often called a ‘tourist destination’.  These are a permanent establishment, destination or facility that:

  • attracts or is used by visitors to an area
  • is open to the public without prior booking during normal opening hours

An attraction provides an educational or recreational use such as:

  • museums
  • zoos
  • historical sites
  • theatres
  • cinemas
  • theme parks
  • sport and leisure facilities

A facility provides an amenity, such as:

  • public houses
  • hotels
  • guest houses
  • restaurants
  • camping or caravan sites

Retail outlets are no longer eligible for brown tourism signing.  These include:

  • garden centres (unless it has a tea room which can be signed)
  • retail parks
  • shopping centres

For garden centres with tea rooms, see additional criteria for facilities. 

We may consider standard directional signing (black legend, white background) for retail outlets. These signs are only available if there are genuine traffic management or safety reasons.  The tourism vetting procedure is used as the basis for eligibility and the applicant must pay the costs.

Qualifying criteria

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.  

Purpose and extent of signing guidelines

The main purpose of tourist signs is to guide visitors to a tourist destination:

  • along the most appropriate route during the latter stage of their journey
  • where the destination may be difficult to find

Tourist signs must direct drivers to destinations safely and by the most suitable roads.  They should only be needed when drivers are close to where the attractions and facilities are situated.

Drivers should be able to find their way to the towns or villages in or near to where the attractions and facilities are using:

  • directional information provided in advertising and publicity supplied by the attraction or facility.  It is expected they provide a valid link to google maps (or similar). 
  • standard highway direction signs on the highway network 

It is recognised that tourist signs provide a degree of advertising, but they must not be provided solely for that purpose. 

For most tourist attractions and all tourist facilities, signing will normally be appropriate within about two miles of the destination. 

Tourist signing may start from: 

  • The nearest A or B-class roads (although, for example, where an unclassified road forms a main route, the nearest unclassified road may be more appropriate). 
  • The point where the route to an attraction or facility differs from the normal (signed) route into a town or village in which, or near, they are located. 
  • Within the towns and villages where the attractions and facilities are located. 

In exceptional cases, signing may be justified from further away, for example, if: 

  • a major attraction is in a remote area 
  • not located close to a large town 

Attractions and facilities located adjacent to A and B roads will only sometimes require signing, especially if their entrances are visible and identifiable from a distance. However, signing may be considered if: 

  • approach visibility is poor  
  • vehicle speeds are excessive 

More extensive signing may be considered for larger attractions and facilities for traffic management reasons or to adhere with a planning condition. 

We may refuse a request for a sign at a given location because: 

  • of siting difficulties, or 
  • the number of destinations signed at a junction would be excessive  

In general, the maximum number of destinations that a driver can read on a sign is six. This number will be less where long names are involved, or where the road carries fast-moving traffic. 

The maximum number of tourist destinations signed at a single location will not normally exceed: 

  • four on lower-speed roads 
  • three on higher-speed roads 

The number of other non-tourist signs at that location will also be taken into consideration. 

Environmental factors will be considered regarding the style, design construction and mounting of signs. The positioning of signs in relation to other signs, trees, listed buildings and views will also be considered.  This is particularly important in conservation and rural areas. 

Lengthy tourist destination names require large signs.  Where necessary, names will be shortened. Attraction and facility signs will usually: 

  • be no longer than three words 
  • have only one tourist symbol per attraction or facility 

The exception would be using two symbols where facilities providing accommodation also serve meals throughout the day or at recognised times. 

The provision of signing on trunk roads in Lincolnshire will require approval from National Highways or its agent. This includes A1, A46 Lincoln bypass from the A57 Carholme Road roundabout south-westwards to the county boundary, and the A52 Leicestershire boundary to the A1. There is a separate brown tourist sign application process for trunk roads.

Where tourist signing is approved and in place, temporary signs for ‘special events’ usually will not be allowed.  However, there may be an exception for traffic management reasons.

Use of temporary black and yellow signs

Black and yellow temporary signs (RAC or AA style signs) will be permitted for tourist venues if:

  • attractions and facilities are seasonal. An application for tourism signs is still required and the venue will be re-vetted every five years as normal. 
  • waiting for permanent tourism signing and there are time pressures

In both situations, temporary signing contractor details will be supplied. We will approve all sign locations with the contractor. The applicant will form a contract with the temporary sign company. They will erect and remove the signs according to seasonal opening periods and will maintain the signs whilst they are in position. The applicant will be required to meet all costs involved.   

Where approved tourist signing is in place, temporary signs for ‘special events’ are not usually allowed.  However, we may make an exception for traffic management reasons. 

Payments and approval

All applicants are subject to the fees and costs laid out below. There are no exemptions for charities or local government organisations. 

Directional signs erected within the highway must: 

Applicants can expect a three-tier payment consisting of:

  • application fee 
  • design fee 
  • works cost 

Every five years, a re-vetting fee is payable if the signs are to remain in the highway. 

County councillors agree all fee rates and increases. The appropriate rates for the current period will be charged at each process stage. 

The applicants must meet the costs involved in a signing scheme.

Costs

Application fee

An initial application fee of £150 for vetting applications, paid online, regardless of outcome.  

This sum contributes towards the cost of: 

  • administrative time in checking eligibility 
  • assessing entitlement 
  • site feasibility studies 
  • consultations with Lincolnshire Tourism, district and parish councils (and National Highways, where necessary). 

If successful, we will inform the applicants of the proposed type, number, and extent of any approved signing, together with a design charge.

Applications that receive objections during the vetting process will be informed of the nature of the objections and who has made them. The officer dealing with the application will work with the objectors to try to resolve the issue.

We will inform the applicant if their application is refused, giving reasons.

An online application process sends automated emails and timed reminders. For this reason, it is vital the applicant provides an up-to-date and correctly entered email address. If an applicant fails to respond to a required action, we will attempt to contact them by other methods, using information available on websites.

An application will be archived if: 

  • more than six months have elapsed since the date of the last correspondence
  • there has been no further contact from the applicant

Any subsequent application will start from the beginning.  Current fees will apply. 

Design fee

The design charge is £100 for each approved sign location. This charge is payable online, in advance of design, and covers: 

  • site investigation and risk assessment 
  • sign designs 
  • plan preparation 
  • quotation for supplying and erecting the signs, including any traffic management required during construction and site supervision 

Work costs

The actual cost of the signing works, based on the quotation provided, is payable using the online application system before an order being placed with our signing contractor. 

Where co-ordinated, generic or symbolic signing is proposed, we will work with a single-named applicant. They will be expected to make online payments necessary to progress an application and pay for design and works costs.  It is for the applicant to make any arrangements to share those costs if there is more than one venue that will benefit from the signing. 

Without a full site investigation, it is difficult to provide accurate costing for the design, supply and erection of signs. Charges for one supplied and erected sign are, however, likely to range between: 

  • a few hundreds of pounds for a small sign in an urban area 
  • many thousands of pounds where signs are located on A and B-class roads with de-restricted speed limits 

Five year re-vetting 

All individually signed venues will be contacted using the online application process every five years to take part in a re-vetting exercise. This ensures compliance with current regulations. The process checks that venues are appropriately signed relevant to the nature of the facility or attraction being offered.  

Each re-vetting application shall be subject to a £100 re-vetting fee.  

This exercise is of benefit to the tourism industry and the general public because it has the potential to identify and remove from the highway network: 

  • unauthorised signs 
  • signs for venues which have been sold on and no longer meet the criteria  
  • signs for attractions or facilities no longer operational

Signing that does not fulfil its intended purpose can have an adverse effect on the reputation of the tourism industry and highway authority responsible for maintaining signs. If no response is received after initial contact and automated reminders from the online system a final notification will be sent to advise that the signs will be placed on a list for removal. We will attempt to make contact one final time by checking online contact details. If we cannot make contact or the venue advises that they do not wish to take part in re-vetting, we will remove the signs when we are next carrying out work in the area. 

Traffic signs erected in the highway become the property of the highway authority. For roads in Lincolnshire we are usually the highway authority unless the signs are on a trunk road where it is National Highways. The highway authority is responsible for routine maintenance, including: 

  • cleaning of the sign faces 
  • tightening of fixings 

It does not include replacement or repair following: 

  • theft
  • damage or failure due to normal wear and tear

Where tourism signs are damaged in an accident, and vehicle details are captured, we will claim the cost of replacement through insurance companies. If this proves unsuccessful the applicant will be asked to meet the costs to provide a replacement sign. 

We reserve the right to change, amend or remove any signs erected. Any changes made to any sign without the consent of the highway authority, or its agent may result in removal of the sign. 

The closure of a venue or failure to continue to comply with the qualifying criteria will result in the removal of the signage. 

The timescale to determine if an attraction or facility is eligible depends on the amount of investigative and consultative work involved. Delays can happen due to difficulties in receiving responses at consultation stage. It is therefore suggested that early negotiations are undertaken by the applicant with the relevant parish council and written confirmation of support is obtained. It is a mandatory requirement of the online application process for the applicant to upload a letter of support from the parish council. 

If any consultee fails to respond following two reminder letters, the matter will be escalated to a higher level. 

The manufacture and erection of the signs can take ten to twelve weeks from the receipt of the applicant’s payment for the works. 

We reserve the right to change or amend this document, our policy, criteria, guidelines and charges. All charges are reviewed regularly and agreed upon with elected members before increases are implemented. 

All works are ordered through our term contractor. Current policies apply to health and safety and risk assessments.

The application process

Step 1 - Applicant may submit an enquiry to request tourism signs. We will direct them to the online brown tourism sign application process.

Step 2 – Applicant submits an online application, uploads mandatory supporting documentation, pays the application fee. 

Step 3 – Notification received by signs and lines team that a new application has been submitted. 

Step 4 – Signs team action officer carries out checks to validate the application before consulting with the district council. 

Step 5 – Once a positive response is received from the district council, the applicant is advised of the design fee and asked to make payment online.   

If no response is received from the district council, we will chase before considering escalation.   

If a negative response is received from the district council, we will contact the applicant and advise them to resolve the problem with the district council. Repeat, until a positive response is received from the district council. 

Step 6 – Once notification is received to say the design fee payment has been paid online, we will then provide a quotation for the provision of signs. 

If no payment for the design fee has been received, we will send a reminder. If there is no response after six months, the application will be archived. 

Step 7 – Once notification is received to say payment for the provision of signs has been paid online, we will place orders for the signs and works will be programmed by our highway term contractor. 

If no payment for the signs has been received, we will send a reminder.  If there is no response after six months, the application will be archived. 

Step 8 – After five years the applicant is contacted via the online system to take part in a re-vetting process, in order for the signs to remain.