STREETSCAPE GUIDANCE

HOME
PART E
Physical design and materials
SECTION 6
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
SECTION 7
High quality footways
PART A
A vision for London’s streets
SECTION 8
Carriageways
PART B
From strategy to delivery
SECTION 9
Crossings
SECTION 10
Kerbside activity
PART C
New measures for new challenges
SECTION 11
Footway amenities
PART D
Balancing priorities
SECTION 12
Safety and functionality
SECTION 13
Street environment
PART F
Appendix
SECTION 14
Transport interchanges
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Streetscape Guidance
[Part E – Physical design and materials] Footway amenities 239
• Pillar boxes have greatest capacity and have
preference over multiple smaller lamp boxes
• All Royal Mail boxes will be painted in standard
red and black livery
Location
• Letter boxes should not be installed where the
footway clear zone will be less than 2,000mm
wide
• They should preferably be placed within
the furniture zone and should not obstruct
sightlines to crossing facilities
• Post boxes should be placed on a hard surface
to allow for easy emptying
Responsibility
Post and pouch boxes are the responsibility of
the Royal Mail.
Authorisation
Royal Mail has a statutory right to place and
retain letter boxes in the street under paragraph
1, Schedule 6 of the Postal Services Act 2000.
Ownership remains with Royal Mail. Although
consent is not required, Royal Mail will liaise with
the highway authority to obtain agreement for
the location and placement.
Planning consent is not normally required for a
post box or self-service stamp machine. Listed
building consent is required where there are proposals
to alter or remove a listed post box, or those set
in or adjacent to a listed building. Refer to Planning
(Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
Additional information
Legislation:
Postal Services Act 2000 c.26, Schedule 6 –
Power to place post-boxes etc in streets, section
1. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/
schedule/6/paragraph/1
English Heritage:
Royal Mail Letter Boxes: A Joint Policy Statement
by Royal Mail and English Heritage, October
2002.
Figure 237: Post boxes should be located in
the furniture zone
11.11 Telephone boxes
Telephone boxes are a common and recognisable
feature across the London streetscape, with several
distinct modern and traditional styles in operation.
Relocation or removal
Where more telephone boxes exist than deemed
necessary, or where a unit or units adversely
impact on the quality and functionality of the
streetscape, the highway authority should work
with the operator to reach an agreement to
relocate or remove the structure, while retaining
adequate service coverage.
The highway authority may remove a telephone
box when it has been disconnected from the
network. This means that the operator is
Figure 238: A historical telephone box in
Westminster