Speed limit plea in Newton Abbot rejected

Other safety improvements will be made

Calls to extend a 30 mph speed limit along a ‘death trap’ road in Newton Abbot have been rejected, but other safety improvements will be made.

Currently the eastern entrance to the town on Shaldon Road, just past the junction with Haytor Drive to Milber service station industrial units, has a 40 mph limit before it drops to 30 nearer the town centre.

Teignbridge councillors asked for the 30 zone to be extended for around half a mile to just after Haytor Drive, to cover the junctions with residential streets Foxhollows and Twickenham Road.

But following a virtual site visit last week, Devon highways chief Councillor Stuart Hughes (Conservative, Sidmouth) told Devon County Council’s ruling cabinet that the speed limit was correct.

However, he added: “Elected members made clear that there remained some concerns over driver behaviour and safety of movements into and out of junctions on this section of road” and proposed some other measures.

They include a review of visibility from each of the junctions along the stretch, vegetation cutting, where required, and a review of signing and road markings. Cllr Hughes said the situation would be kept under review and advised the local councillor to explore setting up a permanent speed watch scheme along the road.

A previous report by highways officers into extending the 30 zone concluded that current speed limits on Shaldon Road are “correct for this particular environment.” A speed survey showed motorists were “broadly compliant” with existing speed limits and “collision data did not support a change.”

Despite this, members of the Teignbridge highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) again called for the speed to be lowered, with Councillor Alistair Dewhirst (Lib Dem, Ipplepen & The Kerswells) previously telling the cabinet that the road was “a death trap.”

Chair of the HATOC, Councillor Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem, Dawlish) welcomed the newly announced measures but was disappointed more wasn’t achieved: “The Teignbridge members present were unanimous in their support for local residents who wanted to see slower traffic in that area.”

“I was intrigued by some of the comments that ‘slower speed limit doesn’t necessarily mean slower traffic’ but we have to start doing something differently.”

Cllr Wrigley added: “In this world of decarbonisation, we have to increase more people to be out cycling, walking and not being dependent on getting in the car and zipping down the road.”

However, county council opposition leader Councillor Alan Connett (Lib Dem, Exminster & Haldon) said it was “as good a compromise as could be achieved” but criticised the council for what he thought were delays looking into the problem and listening to local residents.