‘Horsham was never like this’: outrage over ‘hidden and grubby’ road signs

Overgrown road signs around Horsham have left motorists concerned the town is no longer looked after.
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Drivers took to the County Times Facebook page to vent their frustrations about ‘hidden’ and ‘grubby’ signage in the district.

Haley Rolfe fumed: “Horsham was NEVER like this! Foliage way overgrown on many roads, and drains blocked Horsham was always looked after, not anymore.”

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Wendy Corbett said: “Don’t know how visitors and people passing through manage. Disgusting. Not the Horsham of old.”

Concerns about overgrown road signs were also raised in 2018, when this image was submittedConcerns about overgrown road signs were also raised in 2018, when this image was submitted
Concerns about overgrown road signs were also raised in 2018, when this image was submitted

Lee Pratt added that the signs in Warninglid are ‘hidden’ and Paula Jane Cunningham expressed concern for speed limit signs which are ‘hidden by foliage and are grubby’.

Tina Hughes said: “Every street looks a mess with weeds growing in the kerbs and overgrown verges.”

But she called for residents to take matters into their own hands.

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She added: “Whilst we all pay our council taxes and shouldn’t have to do anything about it, maybe we should reinvigorate our pride in this country and do something about it rather than just moan.”

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council said: “As a Highway Authority we have a duty of care to ensure that where practical the limits of the public highway are safe, which includes a selection of road signs.”

But ‘challenging financial circumstances’ have forced the council to prioritise its ‘limited budgets’, he added.

The spokesman said: “[We need] to ensure the highway is safe and usable but also to ensure we are achieving good value for money.

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“We attend and maintain all safety critical warning signs, including speed limit signs.

“All sites are assessed on their own merits and various factors are considered prior to identifying what works, if any, are required.”

The council urged private land owners to keep their vegetation under control so it doesn’t obscure signs or street furniture.

The spokesman added: “If land owners can ensure that their private boundaries do not overhang the highway and obscure street furniture, this would be a great help to us.”