Almost £18,000 Spent Repairing Sussex Meadow Signs Following Continued Vandalism

Homes England has spent thousands of pounds over the last three years replacing and repairing signs at Ifield Meadows because people keep vandalising them.

The figures were provided following a Freedom of Information request asking about the cost of installing and replacing the signs, which warn people that they are entering private land and to stick to the public footpath.

They were first installed in March, 2022, as plans for thousands of homes west of Ifield started to take shape.

The cost of the original signs was £1,500 plus another £212.23 for overlay stickers  which were added in November 2022.

Replacements signs were installed in February, 2023, and March, 2024, costing £1,506.25 and £3,160.80 respectively.

The cost of labour and materials was £4,436.80 in August 2022. Repairs in March 2023 cost £578.01, and repairs in July 2023, September 2023, and January 2024 cost £640 each.

Instruction for ongoing repairs was £4,048.88 in March 2024.

The total so far has been £17,562.97.

Irene Wakeham, of Ifield, submitted the Freedom of Information request after wondering how much the initial installation and continued replacement of the signs was costing the taxpayer.

She said:

“It’s obvious the public do not want these signs desecrating the landscape. And to keep spending money on them is senseless.

“The public will still use this land for recreational purposes regardless of the signs, so why spend taxpayers money on them?”

Homes England confirmed that the signs had been replaced due to ‘ongoing vandalism, not deterioration’.

A spokesman said:

“It is critical for health and safety reasons that signage on site is clear. Therefore, if signs are tampered with it is our duty of care to replace them.

“There are no plans to replace the current signs as of yet. The agency is maintaining the signage with periodic repairs as this is more cost effective in comparison to CCTV/ security on site. We will keep this under review.

“The signs indicate that the land is private property, as defined by law.”