Environment: Signs of the times clutter the way

Traffic signs and other roadside paraphernalia are major contributors to a rising tide of clutter in rural areas, traffic planners will be told today.

Neil Sinden, of the Council for the Protection of Rural England, will tell a national conference of highways engineers that they have a major role in keeping the countryside beautiful. The charity launched its campaign against unnecessary signposts, pylons and advertisements last year. It claims credit for persuading the Government to drop proposals to relax controls over advertisements in rural areas. Mr Sinden will make his plea for co-operation at the Conference on Traffic Signs being organised by the Institute of Highways Incorporated Engineers at Loughborough.