Clutter

The Branch has a project under way to
investigate clutter ...

A campaign to reduce the excessive 'clutter' of obtrusive signs from town and rural roads across Coventry and Warwickshire has been launched by the Warwickshire branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) to research the scale of the problem in the county before offering possible solutions.
The work by the registered charity has been made possible thanks to a grant from the Heart of England Community Foundation. Its award of £1,650 has paid for the first phase of the initiative to identic and document 'black spots' in the county, which is expected to be completed by December next year.
The work is largely being carried out by volunteers at the Warwickshire CPRE, which is the fastest growing branch in the country boasting more than 750 members.
Warwickshire CPRE is grateful for the grant because it relies heavily on the work of about 20 active volunteers and this is a campaign we have been waiting to launch for some time in support of the national Cluttered Countryside initiative."
Work has got underway to create a dossier of information. The CPRE is urging people to contact them with 'black-spots' and has written to all 207 parish councils in the county over the problem.
The Cluttered Countryside initiative refers to issues surrounding excessive signage, of public and private origin, and other eyesores such as inappropriate and mobile advertisements which degrade the environment, especially in rural settlements and country roads. Their detrimental impact frequently erodes local distinctiveness with ugly, inconsistently designed, confusing and often unnecessary paraphernalia. Effective and concise signage will not only improve our environment but will have a spin-off benefit in safety, time- saving and congestion.
The CPRE aims to work with local communities to identify and document the 'black-spots' and to present them in a dossier. They will then hand over their findings to local government along with constructive suggestions on how to solve the problems.
Work is now well underway but we are extremely grateful for the support of the Heart of England Community Foundation for the support they have given us.
Alison McCall, Director of the Heart of England Community Foundation, which handed out more than £500,000 to community groups last year, is delighted to have helped.
Anyone wanting more information about awards from the Heart of England Community Foundation can telephone 024 7688 4176.
People wishing to report excessive road signs can contact the
Warwickshire branch of the CPRE on 01926 494597.