Bad signs

The Government's heritage adviser has launched an action plan to rid the streets of unnecessary clutter. English Heritage is encouraging people to carry out audits of street furniture and signs in their areas. Groups can then work with the Department for Transport to develop streetscape manuals for highway engineers and planners. The manuals will describe what sort of paving, street furniture, signage and traffic management solutions are best suited for local conditions. English Heritage also plans to run practical workshops for highway engineers and urban planners to ensure that good design and coordinated street management become more commonplace. For further information, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk.