Guerrilla public information

Some of my blog posts are mere whimsy, others try to make a political point, this one lies somewhere in between.

Coming into Scarborough down the Cinder Track from the north there's a short stretch in Scalby where the old route has been built over and you're obliged to take to the road. To successfully follow the route you need to turn right onto a more major road and then take an almost immediate left. 

Since lots of people who didn't know the area got lost at this point, a few years ago we asked the County Council if finger signs could be attached to the lamp posts that are conveniently opposite each junction. The said that this would be OK but that they would have to put the signs up and that it would be at our, The Friends of the Old Railway's, expense.

Since then a number of bids for funding that would have paid for these signs have failed to be successful but earlier this year we were made aware of small small grants that might be available from the local Parish Council. To apply for this grant all we needed was to come up with some costings before a deadline that was then a couple of months ahead. No trouble we thought and I immediately got onto Sustrans, who manage the National Cycle Network of which this is a part, so that they could liaise with the County Council about designs and costs.

I've no doubt that the local Sustrans manager tried his best but if an official decides not to respond there's not always much you can do and our deadline for making an application for funding came and went.

By now bored with the entire long winded process I decided that I might as well just do it myself and, armed with a few bits of scrap timber, a small tin of blue paint, a small spray can of white paint, a craft knife to cut some stencils, a few cable ties and with a set of short steps strapped to my bike, I did just that.

There's another one like this signed to 

Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby

Now while we may have had permission in principle to have signs like these put up I did not have, or seek, permission to do this myself. Hence these signs are illegal. If the County would like to prosecute they're welcome. If they choose just to take them down then they'll have to explain why proper ones aren't put back in their place - or would they just go quiet and refuse to say anything at all?

Talking to Sustrans the estimated cost of proper signs was about £400. The materials cost me less than £10 and it probably took me about 5 hours so, at the volunteers rate for non menial work of £10 an hour, the total cost was about £60.