Penrith Town Council has once again held a meeting behind closed doors before giving the green light for work on its £170,000 town centre wayfinding project – with installation now set to begin just as thousands of holidaymakers start arriving in the town.
Councillors met in private at an extraordinary meeting last week to discuss the project, with both the public and the press excluded from the chamber.
The council said it relied on powers under the Local Government Act 1972 because the discussion involved the council's business affairs and contractual matters.
But the minutes released after the meeting reveal councillors weren't simply discussing contracts. They approved the final design and content of every sign that will now appear across Penrith's town centre before handing authority to council officers to submit the completed designs to the contractor.
Despite the final appearance of the signs being decided during the private session, members of the public were unable to see or hear the discussion before the decision was made.
The decision clears the way for contractors to move into the town centre from Monday 6 July, with work expected to continue throughout July and potentially into August if contingency time is required.
The timing means the installation will take place during the start of the school summer holidays – traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for Penrith, when thousands of visitors pass through the town on their way to and from the Lake District and local businesses rely heavily on increased footfall.
The project, funded through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, will replace ageing and damaged directional signs with new fingerposts and large information totems designed to guide visitors around the town. The new signs will also include heritage information, walking routes, digital trails and historic interpretation panels highlighting Penrith's past.
A wayfinding strategy commissioned by the council identified routes linking the railway station, bus station, shopping areas, heritage attractions and public spaces. The new signs will feature silhouettes of Penrith Beacon, the Musgrave Monument and Penrith Castle to create what the council describes as a stronger local identity.
The £170,000 contract according to the government procurement records, was awarded to Trueform in February by the town council. Despite the government records the town council claim the project is costing tax payers only £125,000.
Councillor Val Bowen, Chair of Penrith Town Council and Mayor of Penrith, said the investment would make the town easier to explore and encourage visitors to spend more time in the town centre, benefiting local businesses while celebrating Penrith's heritage.
However, the latest extraordinary meeting is likely to prompt fresh questions over transparency after another significant decision affecting the town centre was taken away from public view.
With work now due to begin within days, residents, businesses and visitors can expect contractors to be working at key locations across the town centre as the summer holidays gets underway.
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