NEW signs costing £348,000 could be installed throughout York city centre in a bid to boost access for people with disabilities or dementia – despite a budget shortfall.

The pedestrian signage would include digital maps, finger posts, and wall-mounted navigation points, replacing existing signs and cast iron maps.

Initial price estimates for the five-year scheme are well above City of York Council’s £230,000 allocation, and the council plans to attract private sponsorship to cover any shortfall with proposals now being handed to the cabinet for approval.

Cllr David Levene, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Economic Development at City of York Council, said the new signs were designed to ‘best help residents and visitors find their way round a complex, fascinating network of streets and snickleways’.

It is hoped the signs would deliver major improvements for early onset dementia sufferers and blind and partially sighted people, and help create a dementia friendly city.

During public consultation last September and October, a questionnaire of 174 people found 73 percent thought a new wayfinding system was needed in York, and only one tenth said that nothing should be done about the issue.

Kate McMullen, Head of Visit York, said: “Improving signing will help ensure our visitors, especially those here for the very first time, can easily find York’s iconic attractions, venues and landmarks to help make the very most of their stay here."

Three options, including the overhaul, were considered during planning. Another was taking no action and the third was to modify current signage, but Placemarque said this would not be significantly cheaper than the overhaul.

The current cost estimate includes digital wayfinding totems at £7,500 per unit, finger posts at £1,700 and wall-mounted maps at £800.

Maintenance costs for the signs are estimated at £3,600 per year, plus a £95 per month ‘web-hosting fee’.

If approved, the report says the project team would then work with stakeholders to ‘draw down further funding and sponsorship’.

Philly Hare, manager of JRF’s programme ‘Dementia without Walls’, said: “City of York Council has been a key player in helping to create a dementia-friendly York and this new scheme could make a huge difference.”