Ministers tell councils to tackle excessive street signage

Councils are installing traffic signs and railings in the mistaken belief that they are legally required, ministers have claimed.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond have written to council leaders, urging them to reduce the number of signs and other ‘street clutter’.

The ministers said that for signs to be effective, they need to be kept to a minimum. The Department of Transport is to review its traffic signs policy and will publish new advice later this year.

Existing government advice already recommends that street signs are periodically audited with a view to identifying and removing unnecessary signs. The government said many signs and lines are not needed, and are the legacy of now obsolete schemes or because officials adopt a ‘belt and braces’ approach to design.

The government has also called on communities to inform councils of particularly bad examples of ‘clutter’. It cited the example of Kensington High Street, where accidents fell by up to 47% after the amount of signage was reduced.

Eric Pickles said: "Our streets are losing their English character. 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. Common sense tells us uncluttered streets have a fresher, freer authentic feel, which are safer and easier to maintain.”

The Transport Secretary added: "We all know that some signs are necessary to make our roads safe and help traffic flow freely. But unnecessary street furniture is a waste of taxpayers' money and leaves our streets looking more like scrap yards than public spaces.

"We have written to councils to remind them that it need not be this way – we don't need all this clutter confusing motorists, obstructing pedestrians and hindering those with disabilities who are trying to navigate our streets.”