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North Somerset Council has appointed Crestmoor to install upgraded signage and design features as part of its project to improve ‘wayfinding’ in the town. Work will include:
- refreshing the current blue fingerpost signs, including adding Birnbeck Pier
- installing a new ‘breadcrumb’ trail in the pavement to highlight landmarks and places at key locations
- highlighting the route at Spider Lane (between the Royal Hotel and The Winter Gardens) for access between the seafront and the High Street
- installing three new bicycle racks in the south east corner of the Italian Gardens, opposite NatWest Bank.
This project is part of North Somerset Council’s ambitious placemaking vision for the town, made possible thanks to its successful bid for £20m from the UK government.
Councillor Mark Canniford, North Somerset Council’s cabinet member for sustainable places and service transformation, said: “Weston boasts a naturally wide bay, so the town is spread out and that makes efficient wayfinding crucial. With a focus on active travel – including walking and cycling – we want to encourage locals and visitors alike to explore the many fantastic things our town has to offer.
“As part of this project, we’re considering how to assist those without sight navigate around our town. I’m pleased to see that within our engagement work we’ve collaborated with the North Somerset Disabled Access Group, Vision North Somerset and the Sight Loss Council to create an audio trail. More information will be published once this has been completed later in the year.”
Councillor Robert Payne, North Somerset Council ward member for Weston-super-Mare Central, added: “Every town, particularly those which attract visitors, require good quality, informative pedestrian signage to guide people between key sites and areas, ideally to distribute spending across the town. I welcome this project in central ward. I’m particularly pleased to see that we’re taking the opportunity to rationalise existing signage to create a unified, practical system which is easy to maintain and update. It’s good to see consideration to the reduction of street clutter, with a priority given to the signs being distinctive and easy for people to understand.”
To find out more about the wayfinding project, visit the council’s website at www.n-somerset.gov.uk/wayfinding.