BROKEN paving stones, garish signs, unsightly waste bins and lines of bollards are disfiguring the region's streets, English Heritage declared yesterday.

Launching a campaign to rid the region's streets of clutter, the organisation said it wanted to bring beauty and local distinctiveness back to the area.

It claims historic settlements and landscapes throughout England are disappearing under a blizzard of traffic signs, discordant paving schemes, obtrusive road markings and ugly street furniture.

With its Save Our Streets campaign, English Heritage hopes to retain the character of the North-East and rid the roads of unsightly elements.

Regional director of English Heritage in the North-East, Carol Pyrah, said: "The North-East has a wonderful range of historic buildings, but so often they are let down by the poor quality of the public spaces around them.

"With a little imagination, many streets in the region can be dramatically de-cluttered.

"Our Save Our Streets campaign is trying to put the character back into the North-East's towns, where high-quality architecture and traditional materials go hand-in-hand."

Among its proposals English Heritage wants to:

* retain classic traditional phone boxes

* get rid of unsightly waste bins and rubbish

* discreetly locate CCTV

* create 20mph zones in residential areas

* encourage tree planting

* maintain and restore historic paving

* avoid obtrusive colours and marking for cycle lanes

* reduce traffic signs to a minimum size and number

* use signs and features appropriate to the location to reinforce local character.

English Heritage has enlisted the help of the Women's Institute in the region, whose members will be conducting street audits to highlight problems.

All schools in the North-East will be sent a booklet highlighting the problems of street clutter and a website will be established to raise awareness.

The general public will also be able to view the Streets For All booklet which shows the good, the bad and the ugly of roads in the North-East.

Areas and details that have been hailed as good practice include:

* wheelchair routes in Darlington, which are integrated into paving avoiding the need for signs and poles

* simple and bespoke designed street signs in Durham and Gateshead

* traditional details that reinforce local heritage in Barnard Castle, County Durham

* traditional street surfaces and patterns in Redcar, east Cleveland, and Darlington.

Pat Tulip, of the Women's Institute in Northumberland, welcomed the initiative. She said: "Pleasant streets attract more people into them, making them safer. This is particularly important for women who form the majority of pedestrians."

Do you know of any examples of poor streets in the North-East? Contact The Northern Echo newdesk on (01325) 505064