Devon County Council Highways Department is going to give us some new signage to try to encourage non-AG traffic passing through the village to use the bypass instead – they spent so much on building the bypass that there needs to be a better way to get more people to use it.
At a meeting with the Fore St traffic group and some parish councillors, DCC representatives agreed to fund some better signs to persuade drivers of the vehicles using Fore St as a shortcut to use the bypass instead. These signs here are part of a permitted trial, because the Highways Dept would like some proof first of what wording will work because their signs are so expensive. This summer is a good time to try it out – if it’s anything like last summer, there will be streams of holiday visitors following their sat-navs and driving straight through to get to holiday homes and beaches nearer the coast. The parish council has put up these trial community signs now for a temporary period to see if they give the right message, and if they do make a difference then the Highways Dept can replace them with permanent signs.
All our residents who need to drive down Fore St, or go to the shop and hall will still be able to do so.