As residents and visitors travel in and out of Rochford District they may notice something has changed.

Don’t panic though, nothing’s changed with our stunning open spaces such as Hockley Woods or Sweyne Park, and the range of choice at our local shops remains as excellent as ever.

What have changed are the boundary signs by the side of the road welcoming people to Rochford District. Fourteen new signs have been erected across the boundary of the District, replacing the old ones which had been in place for several years.

At the same time, the Council is also putting up brown tourist signs to draw attention to some of the gems in our area, such as the 200-year old Rayleigh Windmill, which has recently had its museum given accreditation status by the Museums, Libraries and Archive Council.

The Leader of Rochford District Council, Councillor Terry Cutmore unveiled one of the first signs to go up on Friday. He said: “Although the old signs across the District had served us well, many had been in place for many, many years and were starting to deteriorate quite badly, to the point where replacement was necessary. The new signs are very, smart, up-to-date and fit in with the character of the area.”