At the end of last month, Westminster City Council said they are planning to renew and extend a key Regulation 7 Direction. There has been a backlash to the announcement, with calls for a rethink or exemptions. We want to have a closer look at it today and what it could mean for the area. Then, if you need help with things like estate management in the City of Westminster, you can trust us.

The current rules

The Regulation 7 Direction means the City Council has the authority to control the use of for sale and to let advertising boards. It removes the Deemed Consent rights in a number of areas, including Soho, Covent Garden, Mayfair, Trafalgar Square, and Savoy.

Westminster City Council chose to implement the rules on displaying for sale and to let boards to help protect the character of the areas. They had serious concerns about the harm the advertising was causing. Most importantly, it was detrimental to the visual amenity of neighbourhoods and public spaces, including conservation areas.

The original direction is active until May. With it due to end, the Council is looking at options for the future. The current plan is to renew and expand it to cover the whole borough. If that happens, it would mean that agents and other stakeholders have to get permission to put up any of the boards.

The response

Finefair Ltd has been working in the property market in London for over two decades. In this time we’ve become a top name for services like estate management in the City of Westminster. Because of our work, we know that advertising boards can still be useful.

Propertymark, a membership body for estate agents, has been critical of Westminster’s plans. They warn a full ban across the borough could “slow down the sales and lettings markets”. Additionally, it could be detrimental to homebuyers and the local economy.

Interestingly, Propertymark said they do recognise that there can be issues with advertising boards. Most importantly, poor upkeep and failure to remove the signs can be detrimental to areas with unique characteristics. However, they believe they are still a useful tool.

So, Propertymark are calling for collaboration to improve standards and ensure more effective use of the boards. They want “practical, fair, and effective solutions”. Crucially, they want to make sure that having to apply for planning permission for signs won’t cause huge delays and disruption.

It will be interesting to see what happens next. The Council may choose to proceed with their plans to ban the signs across the borough. Or, they may change tack and heed the warnings from Propertymark.

Do you want to arrange estate management in the City of Westminster?

Finefair Ltd is a fantastic partner if you need property services. We can do almost anything, including guaranteed rent and portfolio expansion. We’ll also adapt to suit any kind of investment strategy too.

So, contact us to learn about estate management in the City of Westminster or other areas. We’re here to help, giving clients the best support with their properties.