The signs of a brighter time

Councils act on renovating signage, but what about businesses that could help too ..?

A campaign to update and replace decrepit signage throughout Scarborough has now led to more than 120 smarter new signs.

The action follows a partnership between The Scarborough News and the county council, which invited readers to suggest which signs needed replacing in addition to its own plans.

North Yorkshire County Council has almost completed a £90,000 programme to renew tourism and directional signs around the town.

The investment in signage comes on top of about £3 million which the county council will have committed over the past year to improving Scarborough’s highways.

The latest sign to be replaced is the board at Queen Margaret’s Road, off Seamer Road, which was partly repaired by black tape for years. The new sign provides extra information directing people to York, Eastfield and Crossgates and Thirsk as well as to Whitby and Scarborough town centre.

The replacement signs throughout Scarborough town now include newer attractions such as Alpamare waterpark.

A county council spokesman said: “The county council has been working with Scarborough Borough Council and traders in the planning and

design of the new signs.

“The signage programme is in addition to about £3m which the county will have spent improving Scarborough’s highways, including reconstruction of the paved areas on Bar Street and Aberdeen Walk and Newborough between Queen Street and St Thomas Street and the major resurfacing of Royal Albert Drive and Sandside.

“Other carriageway resurfacing works have included included

Valley Road between St James Road and Westbourne Grove outside the new colleges – the UTC and Coventry University and the new sports village. The carriageway was also resurfaced on A165 Valley Bridge Parade between Westwood Road and Valley Bridge.”

There is also to be major patching work on Eastway, Eastfield. County councillor Carl Les, North Yorkshire’s leader, said: “The signs give

a much smarter appearance and we welcome this opportunity to support Scarborough’s community and businesses.”

County councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for Highways, said: “There is always more to do, but this considerable investment in Scarborough – over £3 million in updated signs and extensive resurfacing of roads for Scarborough – shows the county council’s commitment to the town’s present and

future prosperity.”

Scarborough Council’s asset management team has also been busy, replacing the heritage street signs on tall posts at areas such as Maple Drive, Northstead Manor Drive, Weaponness and Mountside.

The attractive signs have horizontal nameplates atop burgundy poles. A borough council spokesman said: “In the past financial year, heritage-type street signs have

been renewed on Barrowcliff Road, Weaponness Drive, Prospect Mount Road, Wreyfield Drive, Ryndle Walk and Highdale Road. Another six signs will be replaced in the coming weeks and any damaged signs that are reported to us will be dealt with on an ad-hoc basis.”

Some heritage signs and the newer square yellow CCTV signs are grimed-up or covered in moss and have yet to be cleaned.