Council leader orders removal of 'Welcome to Bedford Park' signage

Branded an 'abomination' by residents, the sign welcoming people to Bedford Park has been removed by Ealing Council following numerous complaints.

In correspondence with Leader of Ealing Council Jason Stacey, Bedford Park Society's Peter Murray stated, "I and many other residents were shocked to discover at the end of April that a totally inappropriate sign saying "Welcome to Bedford Park" had been placed at the south end of the Avenue.

"The sign is out of character with the area, is in contravention of the Council's own management plan, ignores the Mayor's policies of reducing street clutter and is of a design that is out of keeping with the historic nature of the first garden suburb. It was erected without any consultation with the Bedford Park Society."

The council's highways department refused to do remove the sign stating that it was a matter that only Cllr Stacey could decide on, which he has done.

Cllr Stacey said, "I have met with highway officers and discussed with them the issue of the Bedford Park sign. For background, the move to replace the borough boundary signs came about because in many areas of the borough where we have them, they have over the years become worn out, are tilting over or have been damaged in some way. They were not a great advertisement for our borough and as part of doing this work the opportunity was taken to install some additional signs on some entrance roads into the borough.

Even with these additional signs there are still a number of entrance roads that do not have such signs and there is no requirement to actually have them.

In regard specifically to the Welcome to Bedford Park sign, it seems to me not to be an issue that requires the council and residents to fall out over. If the sign is really not wanted then there is no requirement for it to remain and the road can be simply be one of those roads that does not have a 'Welcome to the Borough' sign."

The sign has already been removed.

June 7, 2009