Napier's sign guidelines

Napier City Signage Guidelines

Napier's Art Deco Quarter is an important heritage area. Today the heritage value of the city is widely appreciated by locals and visitors alike. Napier City Council has reviewed the city's signage policy as part of a periodic heritage evaluation.

Signs are a vital part of the city, providing information and direction. Well designed signs add vitality and enhance the cityscape. However, poorly designed signs detract from the experience of the city. Because signs are intended to attract attention, they are often placed in prominent locations where they can be seen by as many people as possible. This can cause conflict in a heritage area, obscuring building features and dominating the streetscape.

Napier's Art Deco Quarter is widely recognised as a significant heritage area and the most common negative comments about the inner city relate to the impact of signs on heritage values. It is important to respect Napier's rich visual history when undertaking redevelopment of signage and ensure it remains sympathetic to the key principles of Art Deco design.

The Council has developed the Signage Guidelines to assist business owners and sign writers to design signs in keeping with the Art Deco heritage values of the CBD. The principles contained in the guidelines can however be applied to other heritage buildings within the city. Napier City Council encourages all business owners to have signage which is consistent with the character and appearance of Art Deco architecture.

Signs in Napier’s Art Deco Quarter are limited in size and subject to controls. All signage on heritage buildings requires approval from the Resource Consents team. Other buildings in Napier’s Art Deco Quarter must meet the standards for the zone as set out in the Operative District Plan and in the Proposed District Plan where immediate legal effect applies. The Council offers a rebate scheme for approved upgrades to signage in Napier’s Art Deco Quarter.

Refer to the Operative District Plan, the Proposed District Plan where immediate legal effect applies and the Art Deco Design Guide for full information.

Heritage Buildings

Any sign on a listed heritage building will require Resource Consent in addition to compliance with the above rules. Please check with the Planning Department.

You can print off the Application for the Footpath Signs Licence form from the ‘Related Documents’ at the top of this page, fill it out and bring it in to our Customer Service Centre at 215 Hastings Street. Or you can do everything online:

APPLICATION FOR FOOTPATH SIGNS LICENCE