A DRIVE to boost visitor numbers to Hull's Old Town has begun in earnest.
Work has already started on sprucing up the street signs and the pedestrian sign posts will also receive a makeover in the next couple of weeks.
Following consultation with traders and other interested parties, Hull City Council is looking at a number of measures to attract more people to the Old Town.
During the first phase, the focus is on making the Old Town easily identifiable from the rest of the city centre.
As well as repainting the signs with white lettering on a blue background and sprucing up the signposts, new banners have also been erected.
Council leader Steve Brady said: "The banners and signs are part of a wider long-term project to make the most of Hull Old Town, our great cultural and heritage asset, to improve the city as a 'destination' which links in with the City Plan.
"We are looking at a number of measures to attract more people to the Old Town.
"These include enhancing its heritage and giving it a distinct look and feel as well as improving the connectivity and animating the space with events and activities working with our town team partners."
The cost of painting over and providing new street signs is £4,700 and refurbishing the fingerposts is costing £4,870, which has been funded through the using Government's High Street Innovation Fund.
The area will also be boosted by a new £7m bridge linking it with the east bank, which should be opening shortly.
Alan Murphy, who owns Walters, the Lion and Key and Hawkes pubs in the Old Town, is delighted by the measures being taken.
He said: "This is fantastic and creates some great opportunities.
"The new bridge will open up the Old Town to Victoria Dock and the Premier Inn.
"We have already seen a massive increase in trade over the past couple of years.
"A lot of businesses have opened here in the past few years and they are still going strong.
"It may seem trivial to some but I feel it is very important to redo the street signs, which helps rebrand the Old Town.
"Other cities have distinct areas and this will help do the same here.
"We have been involved in the consultation and it's brilliant to see the council making this a defined area."
There has been a push in recent years to provide more events in the Old Town with the council working alongside Hull Bid and Holy Trinity Church.
There are also plans to try to boost the indoor market.
Cllr Brady said: "We are very passionate about the Old Town and making sure it is more of a destination to attract more visitors, new businesses and traders into the area, as well as to help the existing businesses to thrive.
"Last year, we attracted more than 70,000 visitors to events in the Old Town area that gave a significant boost to footfall, including the Christmas nativity event as part of wider events programme.
"Other activities include a monthly market that we have supported to grow and we have also supported a few new business start-ups in the nearby arcade, making it a full capacity.
"Part of the first phase will see all the street signs take on the Old Town look, followed by refurbished fingerposts that update the ones around the Old Town, which will later be build up to the council improving the public realm and then the redevelopment of the main Old Town square."
