The decision was taken to rename the bridge in May, following the removal of the tolls at the crossing. A sign displaying the new name was erected at both the English and Welsh ends of the bridge.

It has now been revealed that £216,513.39 was spent on the two signs, which has been met with criticism.

Leanne Wood, assembly member for the Rhondda, comments: “To spend almost a quarter of a million pounds on signage after a bridge renaming that nobody asked for or was told about beforehand is absurd, wasteful and ill-judged; especially when we are losing so much because of austerity cuts.

“This vanity project proposed by sycophants in the Welsh Office, backed up by ‘cap-doffers’ in the Welsh Government, will no doubt earn them more establishment brownie points but what real, practical purpose does it serve?

To spend almost a quarter of a million pounds on signage after a bridge renaming that nobody asked for or was told about beforehand is absurd”

“No member of the public was asked or consulted about this and now we see the true cost of that lack of scrutiny and transparency. Few people are using the new name months after it was adopted which shows that it has not really been accepted by people in Wales.” 

A local sign-maker told Gloucestershire Live that the cost seemed “massively inflated”. Vaughan Howell, who manages Severn Signs, says that his firm could have completed the job for a fraction of the price.

Speaking to Gloucestershire Live, he says: “I don’t know how anyone could justify paying so much money for the two signs. If they came to me, they could have then used the surplus funds to fix some of the potholes which are on our roads - when the roads in Britain are in the state of disrepair they are, how are they spending so much on two signs? I mean, who signed this off? It seems massively inflated.”

… when the roads in Britain are in the state of disrepair they are, how are they spending so much on two signs?”

Howell says that if his firm had carried out the work, it would have cost £23,812 plus VAT for two reflective aluminium signs measuring 6,300mm x 2,900mm with fixing, and fitting based on a four-man team working at night, to minimise disruption on the road.

The Prince of Wales Bridge was given its new name to mark both the removal of the toll charges, which had been in place for over 50 years, and the 60th anniversary of the Queen giving Prince Charles the title of the Prince of Wales at the age of nine.

A UK Government spokeswoman comments: “The Prince of Wales Bridge was named as part of the UK Government’s decision to remove the tolls on both crossings, saving drivers over £100m per year.

“Highways England has responsibility for the operation, ongoing maintenance and costs of the crossings between England and Wales.”

If you have a news story, email summer@linkpublishing.co.uk or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to join the conversation.

Printable version Send to a friend Contact us