Signs of hope for town wiped off the tourism map by A1 upgrade

When the A1 was upgraded to a motorway, government engineers removed a brown Historic Market Town sign for Wetherby, which has been a stop-off for weary travellers for centuries.

Wetherby businesses complained that it resulted in a significant drop in visitors, caused a big drop in takings and led to the closure of several shops which relied on the A1 traffic trade.

Now a campaign by local politicians and the Wetherby Business Association to reinstate tourist signs on the new A1(M) looks set to be successful.

Traders have been told that the old wording, "Historic Market Town", is no longer allowed on motorway signs because of regulations dating back to 2002.

But they will be allowed to have tourist-style signs which will say "Wetherby" in white letters on a brown background.

They can also apply to have more tourist signs on roundabouts on the edge of the town.

A report by Leeds Council officials says that an independent organisation must apply for permission for a motorway sign and the local authority must not submit the idea itself.

The report to the for the Executive Board says the Highways Agency, part of the Department for Transport, will decide whether to grant permission for any new signs.

The council report says the Highways Agency is looking at "continuity of the style of signage from the M1 into Wetherby" and it could improve the chance of a successful application if there are plans to place tourist signs on the three roundabouts on the approach to Wetherby.

These have already been drawn up by the council.

The report concludes: "A request for consideration of providing a tourist sign on the A1(M) should be submitted to the Highways Agency by an appropriate organisation from Wetherby. This organisation is also advised to consider submitting a supporting application to the council for signs on the local road network."

Officials are recommending that councillors support the application for tourist signs for Wetherby from the A1(M) – from a third party, either Wetherby Town Council or the business community.

The applicant is expected to fund all the costs.

Wetherby councillor Alan Lamb, who has led the campaign for new signs, said the process for getting the new signs was "unbelievably frustrating" and involved "so many hoops" even when the funding was already available.

He said obstacles had been placed in the way of local people who simply wanted what they had before.

He is now confident that Ministers are supportive of the plans but it may take a little more time to get them in place.

The campaign follows a deputation to the council by the Wetherby Business Association, whose chairman Rosemary Nicholson told the authority that traders were "sick with worry about the severe downturn in business within Wetherby town".

She added: "Since the removal of the brown signs and the introduction of the Wetherby Services sign, cars and coaches are stopping at the services area rather than seeing the attractiveness of Wetherby through the Historic Market Town brown sign.

"Shops started to close shortly after the removal of the sign...in some instances shop owners have simply handed back the keys to the landlord as they could not make the business pay."

Members of the Executive Board are meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 22, at 1pm, at Leeds Civic Hall to discuss the report.