It looks like the traditional figure signposts on the City centre will start to disappear shortly.
New direction sign in foreground. Old finger sign in background
Theprojectto replace them with a “modern” equivalent could cost taxpayers £350,000 with a similar matching contribution coming from the York Bid.
Controversial in many ways, the timing of the expenditure looks even more suspect against the background of a City centre now desperately trying to attract local shoppers.
The future off the redundant finger signposts has been highlighted by a campaigning Councillor. He wants to repurpose the posts for use in sub-urban York and in the surrounding villages.
This seems like a sound idea.
A new cast iron post can cost as much as £4,300 and repurposing existing signs would not only be cheaper but would also meet the Council’s environmental objectives.
Arguably the finger signs are also less visually intrusive designed as they were to complement Conservation Areas.
So what will happen to the recovered posts?
No one seems to know.
There are many locations – not least the routes of the public rights of way made even more popular for exercise during lock-down – which would benefit from better way marking.
Consigning the iron posts to the scrap heap would add insensitivity to the poor judgement of the original decision.
The Council has today issued a media release claiming that the £20 million Guildhall project, “has managed to progress whilst implementing government social distancing restrictions and the team has achieved 90% of all scheduled work on site in the last month”.
That is good news. Earlier in the year long delays had been forecast
The Councils performance in allowing the listed building to slip in a shocking state of disrepair was disappointing. The conservation work needed to be completed and the letting of a repairs contract, after so many delays, was broadly welcomed.
Business case approved by the Council a year ago (option 1)
Unfortunately the Council also agreed to embark on, what some viewed as, a financially reckless bid to provide more offices and a “business club” on the site, with part of the work being paid from rent generated by a large restaurant. Last year the Council let a £16,000 contract aimed at attracting a restaurant operator
The mix of uses always looked risky. The private sector declined to take on any of that risk. The business case looks even less convincing in the light of the recession that will grip this country over the next few years.
Taxpayers already face paying a £574,000 a year subsidy – mostly for interest charges – on the project. Office rent income of £549,000 a year is assumed. If any of the latter doesn’t materialise, then the operating deficit will have to be paid for by cuts in other pubic services in the City.
In seeking to let the office and start up space, the Council will in effect be in competition with itself as there is spare accommodation at the Community Stadium, at the eco small business centreand, potentially, on Piccadilly.
Even the Councils own offices may soon have spare space as more staff find it possible (and desirable) to work from home – one of the possible positive benefits of the current health crisis. (To see other empty property click)
Against that background, residents would have expected the Council to undertake a “root and branch” reappraisal of all aspects of the project.
Instead they seem to be adopting an “it’ll be alright on the night” approach.
In this case, as with several other projects, it most certainly won’t be alright, unless the Council comes up with and implements a convincing economic recovery plan.
NB. Separately it appears that the new £700,000 City centre “direction signs” project is set to go ahead. 50% is being funded by the York BID.
Leaving aside the controversial appearance of the signs, this is surely expenditure that could have been delayed at least until an economic recovery is well underway and tourists are returning to the city in larger numbers.
A Council official has agreed, at another “behind closed doors” meeting, to contribute £350,000 towards the provision of new “wayfinding” signs in the City centre.
The total cost of the project is £700,000 with the York Business Improvement District (BID) contributing half.
The plan has prompted a mixed reaction in the past. The new LibDem led Council administration had been expected to review the proposals, along with other expenditure commitments – like the £20 million Guildhall project – which it inherited in May.
However, that hasn’t happened, with the new administration
adopting a very low-profile approach to public service reforms.
The decision notice says, “The February 2019 Budget Council
meeting included the following …. this scheme will allow the Council and York
BID to proceed with full implementation of a new Wayfinding scheme starting in
Spring 2019, following a detailed consultation exercise. Works will include the
removal of 60 current heritage fingerposts to reduce street clutter, and
installation of 36 new totem signs, 14 fingerpost signs, and 13 wall signs.
York BID have committed £350k to the full implementation, which will be matched
by the Council as part of this scheme”.
Opinions on the design of the new signs – one of which is located
outside the Mansion House – have been mixed with same favouring the more traditional
“finger” signs.
However, the main area of contention relates to prioritisation
at a time when an increasing number of visitors to the City depend on smartphone
features like Google Maps to find their way around.
While Visit York has a goodwebsite, there is scope for a more specialised smartphone app.
There are several commercial applications available with some
depending on advertising revenue. Currently Visit York doesn’t provide a list
of approved Apps that are available. Anyone accessing the iTunes store and
entering “York” will be offered only 2 options. One of these is currently unavailable.
Visit York should commission an official real time “walking
tour” type guide and promote its use via its web site, social media and at
entry points to the City.
Meanwhile, many will take the view that £350,000 might be better invested in ensuring that the City is weed and litter free, and that street furniture like bins and seats are kept in good condition.
The Council should also finally deliver a replacement for the real time car parking space availability signs, and “on line” service, which was lost some 8 years ago.
Such a “clean and seen” campaign must include the main road and rail routes into the City which are so important in forming a visitors “first impression” of York.
An award-winning consultancy which has worked on a number of nationally acclaimed projects for Derby, Oxford and Cambridge has been appointed to undertake a six-week consultation on behalf of City of York Council, into the future-look of York’s signposts, and in particular how this can benefit people with disabilities or dementia.
Further to yesterdays story, we are told that the new signposts, planned for the City centre, could cost £200,000.
The plan has been disguised in the Councils published budget as a “wayfinding” project.
Pedestrian signs are less important these days as more and more visitors rely on mobile phone “apps” to find their way around the City.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Keith Aspden comments;
“With frontline services being cut and council tax going up residents will be shocked that Labour is choosing to spend £200,000 on a report into signposts in the city-centre.
The lessons from Lendal Bridge and Kings Square are clearly not being learnt.
Labour need to cut the vanity projects and focus spending on things that actually matter to local residents.”
The York Council has announced that it is to employ consultants to recommend a new design for “signposts” in York.
The Council has refused to reveal how much the design work will cost or , indeed, how much changing all York’s signposts would cost.
The Council has been increasingly criticised for neglecting sub-urban shopping and residential areas while ploughing millions into cosmetic improvements to a limited number of city centre streets.
It also faces a potential financial crisis in the wake of the Lendal Bridge/Coppergate affair with many commentators expecting that that Council will be forced to repay the £2 million in fines that it unlawfully imposed..
