Overview

The Road Signs (Tourist Destinations and Facilities) Bill aims to improve tourism in England by requiring highway and local planning authorities to consider the promotion of tourism when making decisions about road signage and planning permissions for tourist-related signs.

Description

This Bill introduces two key duties:

• Duty of Highway Authorities: Highway authorities (defined by the Road Traffic Act 1988) must consider tourism promotion when deciding on road sign content and placement.
• Duty of Local Planning Authorities: Local planning authorities (defined by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) must consider tourism's contribution to the local economy when reviewing sign applications for tourist destinations and facilities.

The Bill applies only to England and will be known as the Road Signs (Tourist Destinations and Facilities) Act 2009.

Government Spending

The Bill doesn't directly specify government spending. The implementation cost will depend on how highway and local planning authorities choose to fulfill their new duties. It's likely that there will be some associated administrative costs, but no precise figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Highway Authorities: They will need to adjust their decision-making processes to incorporate tourism promotion considerations.
• Local Planning Authorities: They will need to consider the economic impact of tourism when processing sign applications.
• Tourism Businesses: May benefit from improved signage and easier access to tourist destinations, potentially leading to increased business.
• Local Communities: Could experience positive or negative impacts depending on the outcome of increased tourism.

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