NEW promotional signs pointing visitors in the right direction to a host of Minehead businesses have been dubbed a success - just days after going up.

A joint initiative between West Somerset Council, Minehead Town Council and Minehead Chamber of Trade has led to the creation of a series of signs and fingerposts which together highlight around 200 businesses, as well as local landmarks, car parks and the town's Enterprise Park.

And chamber of trade chairman Graham Sizer said the benefits were already being felt by businesses, even though the signs were only installed last Friday.

"People really are looking at the signs and businesses are reaping the rewards," he said.

The signs, produced in Minehead's official conservation colours of green and cream and featuring a QR code directing smartphone users to the Minehead Town Guide app, are part of a series tourism initiatives and projects designed to encourage holidaymakers to explore the town.

They have been put up in Wellington Square and at the junctions of Holloway Street and The Parade, The Avenue and Blenheim Road and The Avenue and Summerland Road.

And they follow on from new guidelines issued recently by Somerset County Council on pavement advertising - specifically A-boards.

Mr Sizer said the chamber of trade had been involved in talks with the authority in drawing up the latest guidelines, which differed only slightly to those previously in place.

"Minehead was identified as one of the worst offenders in the past because we have such wide pavements," said Mr Sizer.

"But now around 80 per cent of A-boards in the town are compliant."

Mr Sizer said many businesses, particularly in The Avenue, owned the forecourts in front of their properties so were perfectly entitled to put A-boards on their land.

"A-boards are part of the buzz of any high street and will remain so.

"Not all A-boards are being targeted and the new signs certainly don't mean the end of them."

However, he said there were rules that traders had to obey.

The new guidelines stipulate that A-boards should be a maximum width of 50 centimetres, no more than one metre in height and should not protrude more than 50mm from the premises.

In addition, they should not be a hazard to pedestrians or located within two metres of a crossing point or junction.

Crucially, only one A-board per trader will be allowed and traders have to have public liability insurance to the tune of £5 million to indemnify the county council, which as the highways authority as a duty to protect the public using footways.

"Where the flouting over size and number of boards displayed by one or two traders remains evident, action will be taken and has been already in some instances," said Mr Sizer.

"If one or two traders feel three boards is what they need, they need to think again.

"And if one or two feel that four feet in height is only just over the height allowed, they will have to buy another tape measure - those are the ones that will go."

Money for the new signs has come from the three partners, along with grants from Portas and Seaside Strategy funding and planning gain cash from developers.

Pictured at the unveiling of the new signs last Friday, from left, West Somerset Council lead member for regeneration and economic growth Cllr Karen Mills, Graham Sizer and Minehead Town Council clerk Sue Sanders.

Photo: Steve Guscott