Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:31 am  

I can see the point of boundary signs telling you that you have reached the village, town or city to which you were headed but I seem to be missing something ... what is the point (if there is one) of signs telling you the name of the local authority that administers that area?

On the A646 from Burnley to Todmorden, there is a patch where, in the space of maybe 50 metres, you pass a sign telling you are in West Yorkshire (which was actually abolished as a Metropolitan County in 1986 but there still seems to be a budget somewhere for useless road signs like this one which looks pretty new-ish), then one saying you are in Calderdale (the local Unitary authority), then one saying you are in Todmorden (which you are not, the town is some miles away and you have actually just entered the local non-county Borough which is also called Todmorden) ... and then one telling you that you are in Portsmouth (the name of the actual village, a fact you maybe did need to know).

I have seen similar excess signage in many and various parts of the UK and I wonder a) what use it all is and b) how much money is wasted on this ugly junk.

Many councils are now rationalising their directional and restrictional traffic signs and are making their towns and villages look much better and, in some cases, safer ... for me it's also time to ditch most of the useless boundary signs.

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 8:38 am  

Please don't extend your campaign to include the old milestones and "horse mount" mileage indicators that still exist around these parts

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:05 am  

JerryChicken wrote:

Please don't extend your campaign to include the old milestones and "horse mount" mileage indicators that still exist around these parts

I regard those in the same way as ancient monuments and they should have protected status (indeed, many are).

I met a guy on a hilltop who was having his sandwich next to a (nowadays disused) Ordnance Survey Triangulation station.
His job was painting and sometimes repairing them as the Ordnance Survey had given them all away to whoever wanted to maintain them.
He was employed by either Calderdale or some other authority and milestones also came under his remit.
In his rucksack he carried his paint, brushes, cleaner, water and concrete etc.

I went through one of those "I want his job" moments.

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:10 am  

The signs should read "You're in Yorkshire, abandon all hope"

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:22 am  

Big Graeme wrote:

The signs should read "You're in Yorkshire, abandon all hope"

We have other tried and tested ways of deterring Southerners and Lancastrians ... it's called attitude.
And we are always right.

It works better than any signage but the occasional innocent does slip through.
We pity them because we are compassionate.
But still right.

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:25 am  

Anyway, back to boundary signs ... on the same stretch of A646 but going towards Burnley (not recommended) you pass a similar plethora of signs about Lancashire, Burnley and, get this, the "Parish of Cliviger" ... wtf?

[John_D]

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:26 am  

El Barbudo wrote:

what is the point (if there is one) of signs telling you the name of the local authority that administers that area?

Self-aggrandisement, justification of the existence of the local authority in question and, dare I use the dread word, branding.

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 9:28 am  

John_D wrote:

Self-aggrandisement, justification of the existence of the local authority in question and, dare I use the dread word, branding.

Thanks John, you've put my mind at rest.
At least it's worth it then.

[John_D]

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:06 am  

El Barbudo wrote:

Thanks John, you've put my mind at rest.
At least it's worth it then.

Someone, somewhere, will have told the authority that sticking a logo on everything will communicate the synergy of brand <council name> to the people and blah blah blah kill me now. All at a reasonable cost, I feel sure.

Re: Boundary signs : Fri Aug 02, 2013 10:23 am  

John_D wrote:

Someone, somewhere, will have told the authority that sticking a logo on everything will communicate the synergy of brand <council name> to the people and blah blah blah kill me now. All at a reasonable cost, I feel sure.

It works in reverse when entering the Bradford Met region of course where they try not to advertise the fact, the only time you know that you're not in Bradford is after you've left it on the ring road and suddenly you see a big sign informing you that you're now in Leeds and people will probably stop pointing at your car now.