Call to cut road signs in bid to reduce countryside clutter

Published on Sunday 13 August 2006 00:42

SCOTTISH transport chiefs want the number and size of the nation's road signs reduced in an attempt to crackdown on roadside "clutter" spoiling the environment.

New rules issued to road designers and local councils by Transport Scotland will see groups of signs combined to make them less confusing for drivers and less intrusive on the Scottish countryside.

Transport Scotland's new guide to keeping the roadside clutter-free, Road Furniture in the Countryside, calls on planners to:

• Combine groups of signs into a single placard and crack down on superfluous ones;

• Scrap the bright orange backgrounds on some signs;

• Make them smaller and less high;

• Paint the grey metal legs of road signs a colour which will blend in with the background so that the signs appear to "float" amid the undergrowth;

• Paint the rear of signs green or another "camouflage" colour so that they do not clash with the scenery;

• Remodel crash barriers in more natural-looking colours so that they look like part of the landscape.

The report said: "There is growing concern about the visual effects caused by the proliferation of signs and other items along roads in the Scottish countryside.

"Those involved in the design and installation of road furniture must be encouraged to recognise that, while ensuring that roads are safe and function effectively is a fundamental aim, protecting and enhancing the rural environment is also important. These objectives need not be mutually exclusive."

The guidance orders planners to ensure that other "roadside furniture", such as bus shelters, should not clash with the scenery. It recommends discreet wooden bus shelters rather than "inappropriate" metal, concrete and glass ones, especially for rural Scotland.

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: "Sign life is generally regarded as 10 years and improvements in the design and installation will apply as signs are renewed. Because there will be fewer and smaller signs, the guidance is expected to save costs over time and deliver environmental benefits including the enhancement of Scotland's landscape as viewed from the road."

Bill Wright, the director of the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, said: "I welcome this report and I think it is a step in the right direction. There are some big motorway-style signs in some remote parts of rural Scotland which really are way over the top. They are much bigger than they need to be, and so I welcome any attempt to bring them under control. The only criticism I have is this document seems to ignore the growing issue of private road signs and the huge signs set up in fields. Some of these are real scars in the Scottish countryside and they should be controlled."

Neil Gregg, head of policy for the AA in Scotland, said: "There is an issue with information overload because of so many signs and we'd all welcome less clutter and more clarity. The only thing which makes me wonder is what they want to do with crash barriers and fences. Some of this document seems to be hinting that crash barriers might go altogether in some cases and that would be worrying, especially since 70% of road deaths in Scotland are on rural roads."

In February, the RAC highlighted the proliferation of signs on the UK's roads and called for a crackdown on their spread. Surveys by the RAC Foundation claimed that more than half of UK motorists admit to not understanding even basic signs in the Highway Code and over half admit to getting lost during holiday journeys.

It called for signage at locations with a history of collisions to be examined to ensure that it is legible and simple to follow. It also wants lane signs to be erected - or road surfaces marked - much further back from all multi-lane entries to tell drivers which lane they need to get into.