Drumbridges - An Opportunity Awaits!

12.00.00am GMT Sat 12th Jan 2008

Cllr Sally Morgan tries to cross the A38 at the Old Heathfield Crossing

The Drumbridges developers may have won the day but local people still have take their lives in their hands when crossing the A38 at Drumbridges roundabout or just down the 'road' at Old Heathfield Crossing.

At Drumbridges cyclists and pedestrians going towards Newton Abbot have to cross at least two busy access roads and three when returning towards Bovey Tracey. Even more dangerous is the crossing point at Old Heathfield where they have to brave a chicken run of vehicles travelling at 70 mph plus.

Local Lib Dem County Councillor and Central Devon PPC Sally Morgan visited the 'black spots' with local cyclist and Lib Dem Chairman Phil Page to view the problem for herself. At Old Heathfield Sally borrowed Phil's bike to try and cross the road herself. "As well as cyclists, families with push chairs and small children regularly use this official crossing point to reach Stover Country Park and other facilities on the other side " she said "There's not even a warning sign to tell motorists that people are crossing here. Further down the road there is a potential underpass crossing using part of the rarely used railway line but Railtrack have so far been unwilling to support this".

Afterwards Phil & Sally returned to Drumbridges where Phil rode his bike along the route of the Bovey Tracey - Newton Abbot and Exeter-Plymouth Cycle Routes to show just how dangerous it is. The Drumbridges roundabout is also a Bus Interchange Point for local services and Expresses Services travelling between Exeter and Plymouth and the new development could bring improvements here.

Local Lib Dems feel that there should be a more comprehensive approach to the development that recognises the risks to Non Motorised Users. These may well include workers and local residents travelling from Heathfield and Bovey Tracey to the Service Area and Trago Mills.

Phil Page says that these issues don't seem to have been taken into account by the Inspector. "There was a lot of discussion about the impact of a third roundabout at the existing Trago Mills junction but next to nothing about the issues elsewhere. The new development is bound to generate extra traffic on the roundabout. We have been told that the old A380 will be converted to a cycle track as far as Stover Country Park but this will only maintain the existing unsatisfactory situation. Given the increased growth in traffic, provision of a separate bridge over the Devon Expressway for pedestrians and cyclists is the safest solution. "

The £20 million development will include a pub-restaurant, an 80 bedroom hotel, picnic area, and a re-aligned road system to the south of the busy junction with the A38 'Devon Expressway'.