Brighton and Hove City Council is planning to shave £17 million off its annual budget from the start of the next financial year. In doing so, the council intends to reduce funding for road and highway maintenance by £655,000 – a figure that all but guarantees the local authority’s inability to replace or repair road signs for the foreseeable future.
Opposition councillors and road safety campaigners are not impressed by the council’s plans, which have been proposed in response to the UK Government’s far-reaching austerity measures. Critics argue that funding for road signage should not be compromised on health and safety grounds.
Geoffrey Theobald, Conservative group leader, declared that road maintenance was “probably the most basic and fundamental of council services.” Mr Theobald added: “If we get another cold snap this winter then we simply won’t have the resources to deal with it.”
Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet member for transport, Ian Davey, defended the cuts, stating that more funds would be reserved for resurfacing roads and replacing street lights. However, no new road signs will be installed in the city.
Here at The Sussex Sign Company, we feel that any decision to overlook street signage, one of the cheapest and most important road safety measures, is, at very best, short-sighted.
