|
Back to structures Back to Law The highway authority is legally obliged to erect signposts wherever a path leaves a 'metalled road'. There is no satisfactory legal definition of such a road that we know of. We do think destinations and distances on the signs are also mandatory unless it would not be especially appropriate or convenient to the public to do so. The law is not at its clearest here: Countryside Act1968. |
|
For the Future we need to make signmaking easier. Access officers are tempted to take the easy way out and simply use generic "Public Footpath" or "Public Bridleway" signs because getting signs with destinations and distances requires substantially more time and effort. Imagine if road signs just said "Public Road".
Printouts of
self-adhesive waterproof and lightfast sheets on computer printers would be bliss, stocks
of blank signs in various sizes could be held and signs done in-house as and
when required, indeed with laptops and cheap invertors (12v dc to 230v ac)
they could be done in the field. |
| BADFA has put up or specified well over 100 signs, we worked with the Borough (Hertsmere) to get a specification that would reduce the bending and defacing of the existing signs. About half of the signs have been up ten years, we have only lost one, plus one that was carted away when the lamppost it was fixed to was changed. Hedge flails have damaged (significantly) a couple more. No letter picking has been seen. Since we changed from 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch banding (for fixing to the post) with its greater tension capability we have had little turning of signs. One persistent case was cured with a stainless screw through the band and into the post. A special drill is helpful on this material. We now do this where we might anticipate trouble. |
| Colours shown here are NOT MATCHED OR CORRECT, they are indicative only. |
 Standard sign, two lines: one local one further. Might be better with eg Letch 61 to indicate parish. We do not see any need for the white line right around the signs that are sometimes used. |
 Example of incorporation of featured location: Country Park, Ancient Monument etc.( 'Merryhill' on the sign is a large public access open space.) Construction: |
 Treatment of RUPPs, which most
people don't understand, by notice saying "Public right of way on foot,
horse and pedal cycle". As here this can cause problems as those words only
apply to one of the routes. Perhaps horse, cycle and walker symbols on the
sign itself would serve better. And 'RUPP' is short so there is room. |
| Top of Page BADFA Home page |
