THE Dartmoor Society is appealing for a sign put up at Burrator reservoir to be removed for being 'brutalising' and obscuring woodland views.

The Dartmoor Society has claimed the sign, fixed on two metal posts, standing at around eight feet high, which was put up near Norsworthy Bridge at the east end of Burrator reservoir by South West Lakes Trust late last year, should be removed.

Dartmoor Society chairman Tom Greeves said it would have cost around £700 of public money, funded through a successful Heritage Lottery bid for Burrator, which in principle, the Dartmoor Society supports.

But he feels the sign is 'incongruous and ugly', as it is placed in front of a beautiful mossy bank, obscuring a backdrop of indigenous woodland. He said it was at the bottom of an ancient lane leading to the site of Norsworthy Farm where tinner 'Isobell of Northe Worthi' lived in May 1303, and that none of the information on the sign is about the place where it is sited.

Mr Greeves said: 'This is one of the worst signs to be put up on Dartmoor in recent years.

'You only need a small amount of sensitivity towards the historic and natural environment of Dartmoor to realise that this sign does nothing to enhance the scene or to provide an essential service.

'The sign should have had planning permission from Dartmoor National Park Authority but didn't, nor was there any consultation about it. Unbelievably, DNPA has decided not to take any enforcement action as they have been told the sign is temporary — until the end of April.

'The message the sign proclaims is that South West Lakes Trust and Dartmoor National Park Authority have shown crass indifference to the distinctive qualities of this place.

'It is a brutalising and suburbanising sign that should be removed immediately. There is absolutely no reason for it to remain in place for another three months.

Heritage and operations director at South West Lakes Trust Colin Vallance said: 'The sign has been located on a temporary basis, pending the completion of the new heritage discovery centre in the Iron Store, which is being completed as part of our Burrator and Natural Environment Project.

'We felt during the period of capital works both at the Iron Store and Arboretum that it was very important to keep visitors informed of what is happening onsite, both from a visitor information and safety point of view.

'Although work isn't happening at Norsworthy Bridge specifically, this is an area where many people park and the location of the sign here will answer any questions visitors may have, having noticed the building works as they passed by the iron store.

'The temporary sign is also intended to encourage members of the public to get involved with the project and is the only way we can communicate this to visitors on site until the Iron Store is complete.

'The sign will be removed as soon as the capital works are completed, no later than three months from now.'

A spokesperson from Dartmoor National Park Authority said: 'The authority first became aware of these signs when they were erected without consultation with the authority. The South West Lakes Trust has advised that the signs are temporary and will be removed at the end of April.'