MORE detail is needed about why new tourism signs pointing out attractions such as a cathedral and castles on the A55 come with such a hefty price tag, councillors say.

Denbighshire Council’s communities scrutiny committee met to discuss a tourist direction signing scheme for the Vale of Clwyd.

Three attractions would be included on the Vale of Clwyd sign, including Denbigh Castle, Rhuddlan Castle and St Asaph Cathedral but the project is being critcised for its estimated cost of £153,000 – £130,000 of which must be met by the respective town councils, heritage body CADW and the St Asaph diocese.

Design costs will be met by the county council.

Following the meeting, a council spokesman said the committee was supportive of the scheme in principle but had asked for more detail about the cost estimate, adding: “The working group will now meet to discuss the costs and funding of signs.”

The familiar tourist direction signs – brown with white text – are used to direct drivers on the final stages of their journey to a tourist destination.

In 2014, a working group was established by Ann Jones, AM for Vale of Clwyd, to try to progress a tourist direction signing scheme.

The group is made up of representatives from Denbighshire Council, Denbigh Town, Rhuddlan Townl, Ruthin Town and St Asaph City councils, CADW, the Diocese of St Asaph and officers from Denbighshire’s traffic section and economic and business development team. A stage has now been reached where detail design work can start. A report to councillors at the committee meeting said: “Tourist direction signing schemes are generally expensive when they include signs on high – speed trunk roads such as the A55.”

One of the main reasons for this is the sheer size of signs that are required in order that they can be read by drivers at a sufficient distance away.

”The costs of signs also include the costs of the posts, foundations, temporary traffic management [such as cones] and often, safety barriers,” the report added.