Road signs challenged in country

The CPRE claim a sense of rural character is being lost

Councils are being urged to cut down on putting up excessive road signs by an environment group.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) believes local authorities should be more sensitive to the countryside when making new schemes.

Paul Hamblin, CPRE transport policy head, says that pressure on highway budgets is leading to cheaper "bog standard" road signs in rural areas.

He claims that overall, a sense of rural character is being lost.

Mr Hamblin added: "When clutter is at its worst, small hamlets can resemble a shop window for traffic-calming manufacturers, while the painted lines along country lanes can make them look like race tracks.

"Reducing clutter is not to resist change or to argue against tackling the problems caused by rural traffic, but to insist on a better kind of progress.

"We hope highway authorities will rise to this challenge".

He also believes the highway authorities have an important job to do in the countryside to cope with rising traffic levels and excessive speeding.