City ban on estate agents' boards

Restrictions are being brought in on estate agents' boards in some areas

"For Sale" and "To Let" signs are to be banned across historic parts of Brighton, the city council has agreed.

Under current rules, one board per house or flat is allowed.

But under the new restrictions which cover some conservation areas, estate agents' boards will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

The move, which needs approval from the Government Office for the South East, applies to some of Brighton's "finest" Regency squares, the council said.

The authority said there were already restrictions on some listed buildings in the city, including Brunswick Square, Adelaide Crescent, Montpelier Crescent and Sussex Square.

Controls are being extended to The Avenues, Brunswick Town, Cliftonville, College, Denmark Villas, The Drive, East Cliff, the Hove station area, Kemp Town, Montpelier and Clifton Hill, North Laine, Old Hove, Old Town, Regency Square, Valley Gardens, West Hill and the Willett Estate.

Estate agents' boards are a real eyesore in some of our historic streets Councillor Geoffrey Theobald

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald said the conservation areas involved all featured large numbers of properties divided into flats.

He said the crackdown on estate agents' boards followed public consultation which received "widespread support".

He said: "Estate agents' boards are a real eyesore in some of our historic streets, where there are frequently several on one building.

"Removing these boards in the pilot area has hugely improved the character and appearance of the squares and terraces."

And he said that most people looking to buy or rent a home went directly to estate agents' offices, or used property publications and websites.

"Where a property needs extra marketing if, for example, it is particularly run-down and needs extensive renovation, the agent or homeowner will be able to apply to put up a board," he added.