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Council look to boost tourism with new signs
Horncastle could soon see a boost in tourism if plans to erect brown signs for the town’s attractions go ahead.
At last week’s Horncastle Town Council meeting, members approved plans to spend £150 on submitting the initial application to Lincolnshire County Council for the signs, specifically designed for tourists.
Councillors propose to erect five signs in the town, one on each of the main roads into town, Lincoln Road, Louth Road, Spilsby Road and Boston Road and a further sign on Langton Hill for those coming from Woodhall Spa.
But council members did raise concerns over the estimated £5,000 needed to purchase the signs, to include £100 for the design work and up to £1,000 per sign.
Coun Maurice Lamb said: “I think we should support this as we have spoken about this for several years, but what concerns me is that either Dick Turpin or Robin Hood, I don’t know which, wants up to £1,000 for a sign.
“Where are they getting these figures for making signs from?”
Coun Matthew Wilkinson also raised concerns that he thought that regulations meant brown signs were only permitted to advertise attractions that were visited by at least 40,000 tourists a year.
But other members pointed out that the Durham Ox in Thimbleby had a brown sign off the Lincoln Road and they doubted the pub attracted 40,000 tourists.
As well as stating that Horncastle as a “historic market town”, the signs may include symbols for local attractions, such as hotels, restaurants, antiques, the information centre and sports centre.
At the same meeting councillors resolved to develop a new website to promote Horncastle.
Councillors approved plans to spend up to £2,500 on having a new website designed for the authority.
Up to £500 will also be spent on purchasing a laptop and software to maintain the website, if necessary.
But members could not agree on whether to spend £120 a month on employing somebody to maintain the new website.
Coun Lamb felt strongly it would be a waste of tax payers’ money and Coun Angela Birchall suggested the council seek a volunteer from the town to maintain the site.
A decision on this matter was deferred until a later meeting.
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Weather for Horncastle
Monday 20 May 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
