I wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s announcement today that they have asked councils to review street signs in a bid to improve safety and appearance of local streets.

For too many years the amount of signage on our streets has grown and grown and seemingly as new guidelines are issues new signs are added. Signs never seem to be removed.

They are unsightly and clearly spoil the appearance of our high streets, but worse than that in places the sheer number of signs in close proximity must undermine safety. After all as a motorist there is only so much you can take in whilst trying to concentrate on the road ahead as well. A factor that I would suggest particularly affects drivers new to an area to such an extent that it must affect driving performance and in turn safety.

I think part of the problem has to lie with endless streams and reviews of Government guidelines pouring forth from previous governments, but the trouble is too many local councils have taken the guidelines as policy rather than guidelines to be considered as appropriate to local circumstances.

So hopefully we will soon see a much needed review of street signs throughout Bury and with any luck we may seem some common sense being applied and some signs being removed to declutter some of our streets.

Do you know of a street over cluttered with distracting street signs? Please drop me a line.