Sign of trouble as Longton and New Longton village signs are unveiled

A row has broken out over the placement of two new village boundary signs.
The Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundariesThe Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundaries
The Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundaries

Last week South Ribble Council installed a sign either side of the Longton Bypass bridge in Chapel Park Road, Longton, welcoming people to Longton and New Longton.

It is part of an ongoing gateway feature programme in the borough, but the signs have caused concern among residents of both villages, with many claiming they are inaccurate and moving historic boundaries.

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A Welcome to New Longton sign is already in place at the junction of Chapel Lane and Moss Lane, where a stone boundary marker used to sit - 300 metres away from the new signs.

The Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundariesThe Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundaries
The Longton sign, which has triggered debate over village boundaries

But councillors claim this historic sign is out of date, and causing confusion.

New Longton newsagent Tony Scott said many customers had mentioned the new signs to him.

He said: “The village (New Longton) is basically from Moss Lane, not where the sign is under the bypass.

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“People have been commenting on them, and saying they’re a bit cheap-looking too.”

Another villager, who asked not to be named, said: “A lot of people of a certain age are disgusted with these signs it’s really got our backs up.

“It’s as if someone’s maliciously decided to change the boundary.

“The bypass is not the junction, it never has been, but young people will now think it is, and that’s not right.”

South Ribble Council was unavailable for comment.

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Councillor Graham Gooch, chairman of Longton Parish Council, said the signs were “not far out”, as the boundary of the two villages was changed in 2007 to reflect population changes in the area.

He said: “The true boundary is around Brownhill Lane, with all the houses recently built on Bridge View Court in Longton, so it means the new signs are not far out and the bridge is a more defining barrier.

“I think they cheer the place up and it’s nice that the Longton sign features the godwit and the New Longton sign features the rose, which the villages are known for.”