Estate Agent boards

We are committed to protecting the environment from unauthorised development and we will investigate alleged breaches of planning control.

Our Estate Agent board policy outlines the clear objectives, priorities and values for planning enforcement in Waltham Forest.

Estate Agent advertising is governed by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007.

Schedule 2 of the Regulations specify the standard conditions for all advertisements, and Schedule 3 (class 3) outlines the conditions for miscellaneous temporary advertisements often referred to as Estate Agent boards.

Failure to comply with the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement) Regulations 2007 is an offence, for which Waltham Forest Council may issue a Fixed Penalty of £100 or seek prosecution. At Court, the maximum fine for the offence is £1000 if convicted.

The law states that no more than one advertisement, consisting of a single board or two joined boards is permitted per property.  Meaning if more than one board is displayed, then the first board to be displayed will be deemed as the lawful advertisement.

No advertisement may be displayed indicating that the land or premises has been sold or let, unless an additional advertisement or a statement that a sale or let has been agreed or is subject to contract as per the below.

• Sale Agreed
• Let Agreed
• Sold Subject to Contract (or Sold STC)
• Let Subject to Contract (or Let STC)

Adverts relating to residential use or development are permitted to be 0.5 square metres, or if two joined up boards then an aggregate of 2.3 square metres is permitted.

The advertisement must be removed within fourteen days after completion of a sale or the grant of tenancy.

The maximum projection from a building face is 1 metre.

No part of the advertisement should be higher above the ground than 4.6 Metres, or 3.6 metres in an area of special control.

Estate Agent advertisements are not permitted to be illuminated.

The Secretary of State passed a Regulation 7 Direction in March 2020 to control the display of advertisements relating to the letting of premises within specified areas of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

Deemed consent has been removed for a period of 5 years in these areas, therefore no Estate Agent boards (residential or commercial) are permitted on the following roads within the borough to improve the visual amenity of the area.

• Crownfield Road
• Forest Road
• High Road Leytonstone
• High Road Leyton
• Hoe Street
• Lea Bridge Road (East of Orient Way)

If you feel an estate agent board is breaching the law you can submit an enforcement complaint