Luton Borough Council has given a facelift to bollards installed in and around the town centre, creating a new range known by locals as ‘boll-arts’. The bollards supplied by APT Security Systems have been decorated with varying artwork that reflects a small piece of the history behind Luton.
Many of the bollards are decorated with images of the town; some in black and white depicting the town’s industrial heritage and the changing face of Luton over the years, whilst others have more recent photographs displaying the town’s diverse communities and cultures.
The bollards opposite the Town Hall are adorned differently; one pair displays the town’s crest in its entirety, and the others explain individual elements within the crest. One bollard depicts a beehive, reflecting the hive of industry that Luton has become. The final pair translates Luton’s motto ‘scientae et labori detur’, which means ‘through knowledge and labour.’
Chris Godden, Senior Engineer of Highway Services at Luton Borough Council, says the bollards have become known as ‘boll-arts’ around the town: “There has been considerable interest in the new artwork on the bollards with people stopping to take a look,” he says.
“We feel it adds a new dimension and helps to give visitors a little insight into the history of our town.”
‘Boll-arts’ is just one of the many ways that the ubiquitous bollard can be decorated and specified for a slightly different application according to Chris Rowlands, Managing Director of APT Security Systems: “We have seen a number of customers using our bollards in innovative ways, including the effective application of advertisements.”
The bollards themselves provide greater pedestrian security in George Street near the crown court, The Mall and the Town Hall. The scheme also includes Automatic Bollards and Cycle Hoops from APT’s modular street furniture range.
