DUNSTABLE Town Council last week revealed plans to improve the town centre in anticipation of an influx of tourists by implementing a new ‘sign strategy’.
Speaking at the town council and Central Beds Council’s Joint Committee meeting on Thursday, Councillor Ann Sparrow said the £49,000 that the ‘Medieval Dunstable’ project had already received from the Heritage Lottery Fund has either been spent or is already spoken for, and that the sign strategy required further resources.
Next year marks the 800th anniversary of the dedication of Dunstable’s Augustinian Priory, and the ‘Medieval Dunstable’ project has been set up to celebrate the occasion, educate people on the historical significance of the town, and attract large numbers of tourists.
Miss Sparrow said: “In Dunstable, we’re very badly off for signs. There is nothing around the town to tell anyone where anything is.
“We are going to have masses of people coming here next year and we need to look after them, because at the moment they won’t know whether they’re coming or going.”
Next summer’s calendar of events includes battle recreations by the Medieval Siege Society, as well as guided tours and church services.
The project has also worked closely with the University of Bedfordshire to develop a ‘virtual reality’ tour of the sites the way they were hundreds of years ago.
It was suggested that part of the new sign strategy could involve the introduction of brown ‘tourist attraction’ signs – like the ones currently used by Whipsnade Zoo – but they could prove too expensive for the town centre.
Miss Sparrow said she thought a provisional £2,000 budget for the project would not be “anywhere near enough for signage”.
She said: “We’re advertising for coach trips to come to Dunstable, and we’d also like them to be able to park outside Priory House – perhaps two coach stops – where they can pick up their audio guides and set off on their tours.”
Sharon Knott, of Don’t Let Dunstable Die, suggested the possibility of inviting local companies to sponsor the signs to raise more funds.
Promoting Dunstable said that they would be more than willing to support the sign strategy.
It was decided that a meeting will be facilitated by Central Beds Council to discuss the plans further.
For more information about ‘Mediaeval Dunstable’ visit www.medievaldunstable.co.uk