Calls to clean Norwich's dirtiest road sign along Earlham Rd

A councillor fed up with the state of the grubby sign so has tried to take matters into his own hands.

Labour councillor Matt Reilly represents the University division on Norfolk County Council.

He has branded a sign in his area - along Earlham Road close to the Fiveways roundabout - the "dirtiest sign in Norwich".

The sign indicates the way to Colney and Watton along the B1108 but drivers may struggle to read it due to the muck that has built up on it.

Cllr Matt Reilly said it is ridiculous and disrespectful that the sign is yet to be cleared (Image: Matt Reilly)

Cllr Reilly has been calling for the highways team to clean the sign for road user safety and for the pride of his division.

But seven months on from his first complaint the sign is still mostly illegible and covered in grime.

In 2020 the responsibility for highways was transferred from Norwich City Council to the county council.

A member of the highways team told Cllr Reilly in July that the sign would be tidied by the end of September - but no action has been taken.

Prompted to take matters into his own hands, this week Cllr Reilly attempted to clean the roadside sign himself - but despite giving it a good scrub, nothing could be done to clear it.

"This road sign is easily the dirtiest I’ve seen in Norwich," he said.

"I first reported the sign to the county council highways department on May 9.

"I was told at the time that the sign would be cleaned as soon as possible and no later than the end of September. It’s now nearly Christmas and it’s still not been done.

"People living in our community want to take pride in the place that they live in.

"It is ridiculous and disrespectful that the Conservative-led county council cannot deliver on basic things like cleaning up a simple road sign.

"It's also unsafe to have a road sign this dirty.

"Motorists could easily spend too long trying to work out what the sign says rather than keeping their eyes on the road.

"The sign is just before the busy Fiveways junction which makes this all the more concerning."

A county council spokesman said: "Although the sign was cleaned earlier this year, it appears the sign face may be worn out, so we will carry out an inspection and get it replaced if necessary."