Clear sign Rugeley estate has its own identity

But now a county councillor has taken matters into his own hands by erecting a sign for the Pear Tree Estate in Rugeley – complete with pictures of two pears.

Councillor Alan Dudson, who is a county councillor for Brereton, Ravenhill and Hagley, decided to have the sign manufactured and erected after residents complained to him that the proud estate was lacking an identity.

Previously the estate had an iconic pub but after that was demolished and replaced with a corner shop, residents and Councillor Dudson thought the estate had lost its identity.

"People asked me to erect signs as the Pear Tree Estate didn't have any identity. They were asking my daughter as well who's a district councillor," he said.

"I asked for a sign to be made manufactured with the money coming out of the highways fund."

But it wasn't plain sailing for the manufacturing of the sign as the company tasked with creating it did not have the technology to create the pears for the top of the sign.

The sign had gone off to be manufactured in November last year but was only erected last week.

Councillor Dudson added: "Obviously it took quite a while to do it because the manufactures didn't have the technology to put the pears on the top of the sign. Eventually they got the technology and got the sign manufactured.

"It was duly erected last week.

"I do hope that the residents of the Pear Tree enjoy or like the sign. I am pleased with it and I just hope the residents are as well. My daughter is very pleased as well, she's the district councillor for Hagley and feels the sign has given the estate an identity.

"Years ago there was a pub called the Pear Tree on the estate and that's how people knew it was the Pear Tree Estate. But the pub got demolished and they built a Co-Op on it. If you were driving and saw the pub then you knew where you were. But since there has been nothing to identify the estate, not even signs.

"Now the estate has got its identity back."