Council pushes for fresh letting board restrictions

A five-year renewal of restrictions on letting signs, like these, is being proposed (stock image)

A local authority wants to renew restrictions on the display of letting boards.

Durham County Council currently requires advertisers to submit an application, if they want to display letting boards in the city's conservation area.

The restrictions were put in place in October 2019, after going through the secretary of state for housing and communities.

They are due to expire this October, and the council wants to renew restrictions for another five years.

Currently, a Regulation 7 direction - which is what Durham County Council have in place - controls various forms of advertisement in the area.

'A success'

Durham County Council’s planning development manager Stephen Reed said: "The controls have been a success – we receive far fewer complaints than we did prior to their introduction.

"There's been a marked visual improvement in the residential streets within the conservation area."

He added the council welcomed people's views and would include a summary of feedback in its application for a Regulation 7 Direction renewal.

Locals are being asked to have their say on the proposal by writing to the council.

The consultation closes at 17:00 BST on 22 July.