Caerphilly county borough council is leading the way in Wales in its efforts to remove unnecessary road signs from local streets.
The issue is in the media spotlight at the moment following calls from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for local authorities to do more to tackle this so-called ‘street clutter.’
Caerphilly council made a commitment to remove many of these unnecessary signs back in 2007. Over the past 3 years more than 2,500 signposts have been removed from the roadside helping to enhance the look of the area and improve highway safety.
Cllr Rob Gough, CCBC cabinet member for transportation and planning said, “It’s good to see that we are once again one step ahead and have already made good progress to rid our streets of these unsightly signs. We will continue with our efforts to improve our streetscene and encourage a greater sense of community pride amongst our residents.”
“We made this issue a priority back in 2007 and since then we have carried out a rolling programme across the whole county borough. Taking this action has helped improve road safety as well as enhancing the visual amenity of the whole area,” he added.
The authority has paid particular attention to sensitive areas such as routes around historic locations including Caerphilly Castle and roads running through some of the area’s breathtaking countryside.
The council will soon turn its attention to improvements in Blackwood town centre. Proposals are being considered to remove the railings along the High Street and switch the Pelican crossings to Zebra crossings. Both of these measures would create a better balance between pedestrians and vehicles in the town.
CCBC is keen to improve all aspects of the local environment and recently launched a new initiative called ‘StreetPride’ which encourages members of the public to report any environmental concerns. Call 01443 866566 or visit the StreetPride web pages.
