Flower power - roundabout row continues

Hundreds of people have backed a campaign to keep adverts off Saltburn's town centre roundabout. Redcar and Cleveland Council runs a scheme for firms to sponsor signs on roundabouts, with the sponsorship helping to fund aesthetic improvements. But local residents are calling for the council not to place such adverts on the roundabout near Saltburn station. Campaigner Marjorie Wieland, who organised a 1,350-name petition which has been handed over to the council, said: "We feel it would be a traffic hazard as it would distract motorists. We also feel visitors would rather see the colourful flowers on the roundabout, not advertisements. I don't think the area should be commercialised in this way, we are bombarded with advertisements as it is already." Councillor Eric Empson, cabinet member for strategic planning and development, said there were no adverts on the Saltburn roundabout at present and no immediate plans to install any. He said: "There are none there. If anyone asks to have one, we would look into it. When we heard of the concerns about this particular roundabout, we spoke to a former Northumbria In Bloom judge who was of the opinion they were a good thing as the sponsorship generates money towards improving the area."

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