Officials from Northamptonshire County Council have confirmed they are investigating the possibility of translating complex signs to help motorists from Eastern Europe.
The council's cabinet member for roads, Councillor Bob Seery (Con, Thrapston) said: "I think it's fairly clear we have a large number of drivers coming over, particularly from Poland, so it's an area I think we need to look at.
"It's on my agenda and I think it's something that should be looked into, but we would need to do quite a bit of research before anything is actually implemented.
"So nothing has been decided yet, but there is an emerging recognition that it's something we need to investigate."
The proposals have been welcomed by members of Northampton's Polish community.
Do you think this is a good use of taxpayers' money? Should roads signs be translated into Polish and other languages? Have your say by registering below (it's quick and easy) to post a comment or click here to email the ChronPawel Kuc set up a Polish website designed to help people moving to Northampton. He said: "I think it's a good idea.
"For some people it can be very difficult if they don't speak English. The main thing is we drive on the other side of the road in Poland, so that's the most difficult problem.
But I think translated signs would be good to help people bed in."
Government figures released last year revealed Northampton is the biggest magnet for Eastern European workers outside London.
The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act, showed there were 10,008 Eastern European workers in the town compared with 14,446 in Westminster.
But the chief executive of the Northamptonshire Race Equality Council, Anjona Roy, has warned the county council not to make any rash decisions about translating road signs.
She said: "I think whatever the county council decides, it has to be implementing policies that are based on evidence.
"If the evidence shows translating things into Polish reduces accidents then yes, they should go ahead and do it. But I sincerely doubt whether that would necessarily be the case."
Some parts of London already have street signs translated into Polish but, in 2007, the move was labelled 'not a good use of funds' by Ruth Kelly MP, who is now transport secretary.
Northamptonshire's proposals came only days after Northampton Borough Council announced plans to make taxi drivers sit English tests, after customers complained some drivers could not understand them.
Messages received by email
I do not agree that the Tax Payers money should be used to have polish signs, after all said and done when we visit or live in other countries, they don't have English signs especially for us.
I don't no what this country is coming to, the Taxes are to high as it is and all we brits seem to do is pay tax after tax.
ElaineMy view on having road signs translated into Polish is disgusted. If we were to go to Poland, would we have roadsigns in English? NO. You could say this is because there is not enough English people that go to Poland. But at the end of the day Polish people have come to England to live temporarily or permanently and therefore if they do not know English then how are they meant to communicate with other people of different languages.
If we have roadsigns translated in Polish, then we can't discriminate against the Chinese, Indians, Romanians and any other ethnic origin that cannot speak fluent English. If roadsigns were translated in lots of different languages then , this is likely to cause more road accidents as people will spend more time trying to find their own language instead of concentrating on the roads.
Also, most roadsigns are for designated towns or villages such as Kingsthorpe or Blisworth and these do not need translated. Roadsigns such as roundabouts are images and can be interpreted by anyone whatever their language is, and if they can't then this is down to the DVLA to put stricter legislations on foreign drivers.
I know a couple who are Polish and they have chosen to speak English and i can understand them, so why can't other Polish people be bothered to learn our language and respect our culture?
Recently in the jobs paper, i have noticed that there are job advertisements for a warehouse asking for preferable knowledge of Polish, but why should English people be turned down for a job in their own country because they can't speak someone else's language? This is discrimination, but does it matter that the English are being discriminated against? I would like to say yes, but obviously not.
Tax payer's money should be spent on something that will actually be beneficial to everyone living or visiting Northamptonshire and not just the Polish, for example; improvements on schools, after school clubs, parks or even youth clubs. Or more policing around Northamptonshire which will help prevent crime.
Sophia PeelWhat a ridiculous idea! what is the matter with the council in this town , in one breath they havent got a penny to rub together for usefull services in the next they want to waste money on a stupid idea of replacing road signs . we are doomed whilst we are being run by a bunch of morons!
this town is turning into a joke , what other table can we be at the top of for being the worst at something else . i have nothing against any nation but this is England we speak English here end of subject.
SalvWhatever next are we going to have to pay for? If the people from Poland wish to live and work in the UK they need to learn the language. As such they should not be on the road if their inability to read the native language of our country prevents them from driving safely. Get them to pay for a translated booklet, which they should be tested on before driving on the roads.
I am totally sick and tired of being made to pay more and more tax to accomodate foreign people who demand more and more from us. If I was to move to Poland, would the local council change the road signs to help me out (not to mention buy me a car to get me to work putting a local person on the dole who can't afford a car!)
We face greater Council tax bills again this year...so far I've heard about a needle for the train station, 40 odd traffic lights for one roundabout and Polish road signs......what about scrapping this wasted money and giving the hard working tax payers an inflation based increase as a maximum.
The UK, Northampton and Britain is turning into a charity shop and I'm sick of it.
Glen CousnerNO, NO ,NO
SIGNS SHOULD STAY AS THEY ARE.
WE ALL HAD TO BUY A COPY OF THE HIGH WAY CODE.
OUR COUNTRY SIGNS ARE NOT IN SCOTTISH, WELSH OR IRISH ARE THEY.
WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPING IS THE POLISH DRIVERS WHO ARE CONFUSED BY ENGLISH SIGNS SHOULD BE PRODUCING DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THEY ARE LEGAL ON OUR ROADS.
WE PAY ENOUGH COUNCIL TAX AS IT IS WITHOUT THIS EXTRA EXPENSE
FOR THE COUNCIL JUST TO CONTEMPLATE THIS IS A JOKE. BUT THEN THIS COUNCIL IS A JOKE.
A.JOHNSON BLACKTHORNEwayne.bontoft@northantsnews.co.uk