The cumulative impact of signs
and safety fences at this junction
has produced visual intrusion in a
remote landscape.
There is growing concern about the visual effects caused by the proliferation of signs and other items along roads in the Scottish countryside. While this is not necessarily a major problem in all areas at the moment, it threatens to become so as more and more elements are added to roadside landscapes. Many of these elements are there to help with road safety and it is understandable and right that road authorities consider this one of their main priorities. The scenery of Scotland is one of its main assets and attracts many visitors. The majority tour the country by road and consequently see much of the landscape from the road corridor. Road users need the safety messages and other information provided by road furniture but, ideally, its intrusive effects should not diminish their experience of the countryside. It is possible to maintain adequate levels of information whilst also respecting the quality of rural scenery. This document explores how this can be achieved.
An example of a clutter of signs
resulting in visual intrusion and
confusion in the messages.
‘Road furniture’ is a term used to describe a variety of structures found within a road corridor whether the road is a motorway or a country lane. It includes:
Most of these elements are the responsibility of the roads authority. Many are of a standard design, providing drivers with consistent messages that are recognised throughout the UK. Other elements are of a more local nature and design.
Whether considered singly or in combination, such a wide variety of structures has an impact on the landscape. This impact is variable, depending on the particular circumstances, and can be experienced by road users as well as others who may see the structures from elsewhere in the surrounding area.
Some examples of the range of road furniture in the countryside and the visual impact it can cause:
a A bus shelter, litter bin,
telephone kiosk, tourist
information sign and letter box,
all of different design styles.
b Road signs, safety fences and
street lights have a cumulative
effect.
c Safety fence, road signs, verge
markers and snow markers
attract attention on the outside
of the bend, contrasted with a
forest backdrop.
A wide range of regulations, standards and codes of practice already cover the provision, positioning and design of road furniture. However, these have generally developed independently of one other and they usually deal with each issue in isolation. This means that there is little, if any, relationship between one set of regulations and another. Such a lack of integration frequently leads to a mix of positions and styles that can be confusing in the messages they convey and result in a negative visual impact on the landscape.
Many of the regulations already contain some flexibility in how they are applied. The type of provision and the location and style of road furniture can usually be adjusted to fit the local setting to some degree. For example, where directional signs are needed, there is often a range of possible positions within which acceptable sight lines can be achieved. From these the best site can be chosen that fits in with other roadside structures or features. At the other extreme, however, statutory undertakers often have considerable freedom in the siting of their installations.
The existing rules and regulations do not adequately refer to visual design issues or to ways of balancing functional, economic and aesthetic factors in the siting of items of road furniture. They also lack guidance on how to deal with the cumulative impact of increasing numbers of different types of furniture, a frequent problem in many places.
Tourist signs like this are increasing
in number and can add to the
clutter of signs already present.
Two examples of recent additions to
road furniture, traffic-management
structures and speed cameras.
There is flexibility in their siting,
so locations should be chosen that
present the lowest visual impact.
The traffic-management structure
breaks the skyline and presents a
strong silhouette. Dark blue may
not be a colour that works very
well in the countryside.
At this site on the urban/rural fringe
a proliferation of varyng signs in
different positions contributes to
visual clutter.
With more emphasis being placed on the countryside and rural development, particularly tourism, it is an appropriate time for a reassessment of the impact of road furniture. At the same time approval has now been given for the introduction of bilingual signs (English-Gaelic) on a selection of North Western routes which will invariably bring more pressure on the environment due to the increase in size of signs. Alongside the recent creation of Scotland’s first two National Parks, new approaches to rural landscape planning are also being introduced which aim to take account of local character in all aspects of development. Several factors have been identified that need to be addressed:
Those involved in the design and installation of road furniture must be encouraged to recognise that, while ensuring that roads are safe and function effectively is a fundamental aim, protecting and enhancing the rural environment is also important; these objectives need not be mutually exclusive.
This guidance has been developed in order to provide those with responsibility for undertaking work within the road corridor with advice and guidance on how to prevent road furniture causing unnecessary visual intrusion and how to minimise any resulting visual impact. It represents both a consolidation of best practice and a number of alternative approaches. In particular, it demonstrates how to use the existing guidance and regulations more effectively to avoid adverse visual effects while maintaining safety levels and the appropriate provision of information. While it is obviously undesirable to remove road furniture from the countryside entirely, it is also important to ensure that local character is recognised and taken into account when introducing road furniture into visually sensitive landscapes. This guidance demonstrates how to incorporate landscape character into road furniture planning.
Some situations will mean that technical requirements are particularly restrictive and that visual intrusion is inevitable. However, this should be justified as part of the design process.
In this example a lot of new signs,
provided where a contraflow cycle
route is associated with a one-way
road, have created a very confusing
and intrusive effect.
It clearly demonstrates the need
for a credible approach to the
application of road furniture which
ultimately makes sense to the public
whilst respecting the character of
the adjacent environment.
The guidance is presented in a logical, step-by-step manner leading the reader through the questions to be asked and the processes to be followed for successful road furniture management. Sensible application of the document should help practitioners to more effectively balance the traffic management needs of the road against the inherent value of the surrounding landscape.
Contents « Previous Next »
