THE people of Upton could be given the final say on the future of the town’s opinion splitting new welcome signs.

The signs have come in for criticism from some residents since they were installed over the summer.

But others, including Upton Tourism and Trade Association, have defended the signs, saying the criticism is from a vocal minority and that it would cost thousands of pounds to rip them out and start again.

Now town councillor and former mayor Eric White is calling for the new signs to be removed and the former ones bought with regeneration money after the 2007 summer floods, to be reinstated.

The old signs were designed by former Tudor House Museum owner Lavender Beard, who died earlier this year aged 80, and Coun White said it would be “a great tribute to her” to bring them back. He said: “I hate the new signs, I think they look like an advert for the jazz festival.”

But Coun Mike Ostick told him the signs were approved after “one of the largest public consultations that has ever taken place in Upton”.

“All of the comments that we got for the designs were totally positive,” he said.

Mayor Peter Webb warned it would cost more than £20,000 to restore the three old signs to a suitable condition.

He said: “We are in a very difficult situation where we are talking about people’s tastes. There is no way we are ever going to resolve that.” But Coun White said he believed the people of Upton should be given the chance to decide.

It was agreed the matter will be raised for public debate at next year’s annual town meeting.