Councils called on to remove unnecessary road signs

Government advice shows signs are more effective when kept to a minimum.

Councils are being urged to remove unnecessary signs, railing and bollards from roads, to make streets tidier and less confusing for motorists and pedestrians.

Although some signs are required by law, Government advice is that they are most effective when kept to a minimum.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond are concerned that the character of the country's urban spaces is being damaged and have written to councils leaders.

Pickles wants communities to tell councils about particularly bad examples of clutter as part of the Big Society in action. Organisations like Civic Voice, Living Streets and fixmystreet.com are already helping people alert councils to examples of clutter and showing people how to carry out street audits.

After carrying out a survey of over 60 streets, the Salisbury Civic Society concluded that it has become cluttered over time markedly reducing its character. They found the city centre was littered with hundreds of bollards.

Pickles said: "We are being overrun by scruffy signs, bossy bollards, patchwork paving and railed off roads wasting taxpayers' money that could be better spent on fixing potholes or keeping council tax down. We need to 'cut the clutter'."

"Too many overly cautious townhall officials are citing safety regulations as the reason for cluttering up our streets with an obstacle course when the truth is very little is dictated by law."

Further information:
Communities and Local Government