THE numerous Ross-on-Wye finger posts that are positioned throughout the town have been described as being outdated, due to the distances being measured in yards.

Ross Town Council has made provision to bring the signage into the 21st Century with distances no being measured in metres.

At a recent meeting of the council’s community markets and tourism sub-committee was told that the town council currently has 22 fingerpost locations with a total of 118 arms.

The council received quotes ranging up to £83,967. It will be refurbishing just under half of the fingerpost arms (54) on the nine locations that are closest to the river.

The fingerpost destinations include the bus station, library, council offices, market house, swimming pool, public toilets, riverside walk, bandstand, St Mary’s Church, the Prospect, play parks, canoe launch site and the skatepark.

Councillor Ed O’Driscoll pointed out that most people these days are used to working metres even if the roads are still measured in yards.

“It’s time these fingerposts were updated. The current finger posts were installed a good 30 years ago when imperial measures were still widely in use.”

The council said that it would be using a grant of £14,000 to go towards phase one of the project.

The council said it would be looking a various ways to measure the distances to various places from each fingerpost location and establishing a standardised way of compiling this information.

The current fingerposts are made of metal, and the new versions will be made in a similar style to that of the ones they are replacing.

Members were told that the remaining fingerposts would be renewed over the course of the next financial year and that any additional destinations not already earmarked could be discussed at this time.