Bishopsteignton Public Meeting

Last year, my fellow ward councillors and I launched a parking and speeding traffic survey of the Bishopsteignton area following numerous concerns regarding excessive speeding in Bishopsteignton itself.

As a councillor, I have regularly undertaken residents surveys and this was by far the best return of any to date with an absolutely massive response. After taking into account the responses and suggestions put forward by residents it was clear that residents wanted an end to dangerous parking in certain areas of the estate and the existing 30mph speed limit observed.

As part of the process, we pledged to hold a public meeting to discuss the options after long consultation and dialogue with officers before anything was implemented. This morning we hosted a packed public meeting at Thorpedene Community to discuss the various different options.

To encourage motorists to observe the 30mph limit, there was support from the residents to put white lines in the middle of the road to encourage drivers not to drive down the middle of the road at speed. For those of you familiar with the area will know that Bishopsteignton has mant twists and turns in the road and many residents have commented that one day there will be a serious head on collision.

Support was also given for the road to placed on a list of locations where mobile speed warning signs will be deployed across the borough periodically. We were also given the green light to ask at the next meeting of the Police Neighbourhood Action Panel for the Community Speed Watch to also be deployed.

A number of key locations were also discussed and the residents who attended have asked for junction protection at the Abbotts Walk-Bishopsteignton, Weare Gifford-Bishopsteignton and Appledore-Maplin Way junctions which I will be pursuing.

One thing that I have learnt since having transport as part of my portfolio is that when requests by residents are made to members for any traffic or parking schemes to be implemented is to fully consult and engage with residents before anything is implemented as what is originally asked for may not necessarily be what all the residents want.

For example, before we started this process we were asked by some residents for a 20mph zone to be created in Bishopsteignton but have ended up with a series of measures in which residents were supportive of. I hope that members in other wards will do the same which will ensure that we are not revisiting schemes that members have requested to be put in, in the first place because they have then upset a large number of residents with their requests.