LEADING city councillors are ramping up pressure on transport chiefs to improve “poor” motorway signage in a bid to draw more visitors into Carlisle.

Members of the Economic Growth Scrutiny Panel agreed yesterday that more needed to be done by Highways England to advertise the “Gateway City” to motorists, particularly on the

M6.

Former city council leader Colin Glover, who raised the issue, revealed that repeated attempts have been made to get the signage improved, though so far without success.

He said: “One of the great difficulties we have had in the past is with Highways England and getting them to sign the city better off the motorway.

“I totally appreciate it’s not within this council’s gift to deliver this, and Highways England aren’t the easiest people to deal with when it comes to doing things like this.

“However, I wonder if it’s worth another go. We have got a huge amount to offer in this city, although I know it’s been tried numerous times to get improved signage on the motorway outside Carlisle.”

Paul Nedved, brief-holder for economy, enterprise and housing, said he endorsed Mr Glover’s comments.

He added: “It is critical that we draw people into the city and the single best way to do that is to sell ourselves and market ourselves at strategic points.

“We need to be seen as a gateway and as a tourist destination and I think the signage at present is very poor.”

Highways England were approached for comment but had not responded at the time of going to press.

The renewed drive to improve signage comes as calls for Cumbria to be declared as a Tourism Action Zone are poised to intensify as the industry’s worth to the county topped £3bn.

Allerdale accounts for 16 per cent of tourism revenue, with Carlisle on 18 per cent and South Lakeland at 44 per cent.

There were an extra 410,000 “bed nights” across the region last year.

Details of the industry’s worth to the county have been released by Cumbria Tourism after research using the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM).

Nigel Wilkinson, a board member at Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “It is really encouraging to see the growth in overnight stays and the results now being delivered by the attract and disperse policy.”

“This strong performance clearly demonstrates Cumbria’s important contribution to the emerging Tourism Sector Deal and puts down a clear marker of our potential to become a national Tourism Action Zone.

“Cumbria LEP will be working closely with Cumbria Tourism and our visitor economy partners to make Cumbria’s case”.