5th March 2007

Alan Duncan Publishes Roadside Clutter Bill

Alan Duncan, MP for Rutland & Melton, has published a Private Member's Bill which will give local authorities duties to reduce the visual impact of street signs and traffic calming measures and publish policies on ensuring that highways developments are in keeping with local surroundings.

Alan Duncan said:

“Travel down any road in the UK, and you will encounter millions of metal poles and bossy signs where just a few would suffice.  Most of them are totally unnecessary.

“Similarly, every pelican crossing now tends to have two banks of lights where one would suffice.

“Aesthetics matter.  Our built environment affects our quality of life.  It requires good design, good taste and good management.  Each is rare in most of our councils when it comes to our streets.  Highways officers shape our streetscape with almost no accountability.  They cover all their imaginary risk with excessive over-building, and nobody stops to say 'no'.

“Existing legislation, if properly implemented, presents no obstacles to good design, yet their interpretation by highways officers invariably converts well-intentioned guidelines into brutalistic schemes.

“The problem is exacerbated by a total lack of knowledge amongst contractors about what is necessary and what is not. 

“My Bill would ensure that Highways Authorities have access to proper guidance about what is really necessary and the best way of ensuring that necessary street signs and highways work fits in with the local area.”

Paul Miner, CPRE's Planning Campaigner, said:
"Even in our national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty, there are up to 45 signs per mile destroying any feeling of wilderness or tranquillity. We strongly welcome this Bill's call for strong guidance on the use of road signage, and for each highway authority to get a proper grip on the mushrooming number of signs on the road network. We'd commend the joint guidelines we produced with the RAC Foundation as a starting point for how the Bill's measures can become reality."

Sheila Rainger, Campaigns Manager for the RAC Foundation, said:
"It is time to call a halt to the cluttering of the countryside with unnecessary, inappropriate road signs. Too much information can be as detrimental to road safety as none at all. The RAC Foundation welcomes this Bill, with its powerful emphasis on the protection of our visual environment. We believe that cutting down on clutter will have real benefits for the motorist as well as the environment. Every highway authority should commit to carrying out a clutter review to remove unnecessary signs and lines."

Roadside Clutter Private Member's Bill