Council reviews brown tourist signs policy but stops short of changes
Norfolk County Council has reviewed its policy on brown tourist road signs but made no recommendations for further improvements to Cabinet. Councillors noted concerns about the application fee potentially disadvantaging small rural businesses and raised frustration about outdated signs still directing visitors to venues that have closed.
Norfolk County Council's Infrastructure and Development Select Committee has reviewed the county's Brown Tourist Sign Policy but resolved to make no recommendations to Cabinet on how it could be further improved to help eligible businesses.
The committee met on 12 March 2026 and agreed that the current application process should be reviewed and updated, but stopped short of proposing wider policy changes.
Brown tourist signs — the familiar chocolate-coloured road signs pointing drivers to attractions and destinations — cost businesses £257.50 in assessment fees to apply for, with applicants also responsible for installation and replacement costs. One councillor questioned whether the fee could disadvantage smaller rural tourism businesses, particularly those needing multiple signs across different routes. Officers said the fee was mid-range compared to other councils and related only to assessing the application.
Councillors also raised concerns about outdated signs remaining on Norfolk's roads long after the businesses or attractions they advertise have closed. One example was cited in West Norfolk where signage has reportedly continued directing visitors to a venue that closed in 2014. Officers confirmed that redundant brown signs can be removed from the highway network.
Several members emphasised that brown signs remain important in rural areas where satnav systems do not always direct drivers along the safest or most appropriate routes. Some lanes in Norfolk are narrow, prone to flooding, and unsuitable for visitor traffic, and councillors noted that brown signs can guide drivers to better alternatives even where roads fall within the same classification.
The committee also heard that Norfolk had previously explored a local alternative to standard brown signs — a sage-green design with local destination fingerposts intended as a lower-cost option for businesses. However, the proposal was blocked after a local planning authority refused it, an appeal to the Secretary of State was unsuccessful, and the approach could not be rolled out countywide.