Banners on the roadside

Banners may be placed on, across or over the highway at approved locations with consent from Surrey County Council.

The purpose of banners is to provide effective publicity for local charitable, cultural and educational events. Promotion of these events and activities should be both appropriate and of benefit to Surrey and the surrounding area, with minimal environmental impact.

We welcome applications from charities, community organisation and other similar or non-commercial organisations based within Surrey, to display notices of public interest or advertising events on a banner at one of our approved sites. Consent will not be given to any banner containing direct commercial or sponsorship advertising.

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What are the different types of banner sites?

There are two types of banner sites available in Surrey;

  • Pedestrian guardrails – these will be alongside the road
  • Overhead - these will be across the road between two fixing points

Where can you put a banner up?

Please see our page for approved banner sites in Surrey, for which we can accept applications. More details about the sites, including their specific location and type of site, can be found on the page.

How much does it cost to apply?

There is a non-refundable cost of £24 per banner application, covering a single site for up to two weeks. This covers the administration to process each application.

What can you apply for and when?

Banner sites can be booked up to one year prior to the date you wish to put it up. Please submit your application no later than four weeks before the date of the proposed installation.

The sites are only available for booking at a minimum of 1 week periods, up to a maximum of 2 weeks.

Some sites have a high demand, and we process applications on a first come first served basis.

For applicants wishing to re-book the same site, there must be a minimum gap of 2 weeks between bookings, to ensure fair access to all for sites with a high demand.

Applicants may also only hold 2 site bookings for any 2 week period of time.

How do you apply for a banner to be placed on, across or over the highway?

To apply for a banner to be placed, please submit an online application form and pay the fee.

Apply for a banner

What documentation is required?

The follow information is required as part of the application. These should be sent to us via email after you have submitted your online form and payment.

Documentation required

Pedestrian guardrail

Overhead

Certified copy of current certificate of public liability insurance of £10 million Yes Yes
Diagram of banner fully dimensioned including lettering Yes Yes
Method statement for installation, maintenance and removal of the banner using approved council contractor No Yes
Copy of written consent from the owner(s) of the fixing points to use them No Yes
Copy of structural adequacy certificate (obtained from owners of fixing points) No Yes

What are the terms and conditions when displaying a banner on the highway?

Please see our terms and conditions for displaying banners page for the full terms and conditions.

Can a request to display a banner be turned down?

There may be circumstances in which we might be unable to approve your application. If this is the case, we will let you know the reasons why.

If the site is unavailable for the dates you have requested, we will work with you to find an alternative.

What if you want to put a banner up at a site that is not on the approved site list?

Unfortunately at the moment we are not approving any additional banner sites. It is illegal to put banners up on the highway without a licence, and we may remove any which are found.

Removing illegal banners

As part of a routine inspection or following a complaint, we may remove banners which have been illegally placed or are unsafe. The cost of recovering a banner that has been placed illegally is £79.

If your banner has been removed, please use our property recovery online form to pay the fee and arrange for its return.

What if you have any queries, concerns or complaints?

If you have queries or concerns about banners, please contact us either online or by telephone .

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