Ards and North Down Council is facing a bill of thousands of pounds if it decides to relocate new village signs which had to be removed following objections from residents.
The local authority will have to pay around £2,500 if they re-install the signs which were removed at two villages in the borough. In one case police alleged criminal damage had occurred after the new village sign was pulled out of the ground before being dumped on the roadside.
A report has been produced for the council’s Regeneration and Development Committee, highlighting “issues” regarding the council’s Rural Signage Scheme, which was signed off by members in April 2022. The scheme was implemented using underspend from the Covid 19 revitalisation fund, which came from the Stormont Department for Communities.
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While 40 new entrance signs were produced for villages across the borough, the report shows in two Ards Peninsula villages, Cloughey and Cottown, locals were less than enthusiastic about the new signs.
The report states in Cloughey “the new village entrance sign located at the junction of Ardminnan Road and Manse Road was installed as per the planning approval, however, the landowner made a complaint regarding its positioning”.
It adds: “Previously an Ards Borough Council sign had been in situ in the same location for many years, but it was much smaller in size. The landowner was not content with the larger sign and as it was located in their property, the sign was removed and is in safe storage.”
The report states in order to install the sign in a different location, architects' costs will amount to £300, planning fees £193, and installation costs £500.
The situation in Cottown was even more serious. The report states: “The new village entrance sign at the Cottown (on the Bangor side of the village) was installed as per the planning approval.
“However, shortly after its installation a complaint was received from residents of two properties located near the new sign. One individual made contact to advise that they removed the sign from the ground as they believed it was blocking their view of oncoming traffic.
“The council’s signage contractor collected the sign from where it was left lying by the roadside and has it stored for safekeeping. As a result of the sign being forcibly removed from the ground, some damage was caused to the face of the sign, and the sign channel to the rear was bent.
“This matter was reported to the PSNI, who confirmed it was a case of criminal damage.” The report states in order to install the sign in a different location in Cottown, architects' costs would amount to £300, planning fees would be £193, and installation costs £1,000.
The council also had to foot an additional fee of £1,693 after forgetting to place a sign in Kircubbin.
The council report states: “This situation will be reviewed when all the remaining Covid 19 Revitalisation projects have been completed and a review of spending has been undertaken. At this time there may be a potential to reallocate any underspend to complete the Rural Signage Scheme.”
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