A STRETCH of lights along part of the old A30, which have been described by one resident as 'hideous and unnecessary', are to be the subject of a cost-cutting review.

The street lights on the old A30 between Sourton and Lifton have been the subject of much debate since the stretch was downgraded to a C road 14 years ago with the opening of the dual-carriageway A30.

Bridestowe resident Neon Reynolds, whose house is by the road, said the problem with the lights was more about the cost, than the lights themselves.

He said that when the stretch was part of the A30 trunk road, it was provided with street lights that were then necessary, but that had now changed.

'When the new dual carriageway was finished and the old road downgraded to a C road, the situation with regard to the lighting on it should have been reviewed — but it never was and never has been.

'The result is that now this relatively quiet stretch of road is still littered with hideous and often unnecessary yellow street lights.

'Not only do they, in at least one case, make the road distinctly less safe than it would be without them, but it also means that for all those years the money spent on providing this lighting — our money as council tax payers — has literally been, and still is being, poured down the nearest drain. 

'It  also means that light pollution and the county's carbon footprint are both being pointlessly increased.'

Mr Reynolds said he felt passionately about the issue, which he has raised for the last two years.

He said: 'In June this year, Devon County Council told me that the lighting could be removed, but that the proposal had to be examined by the County Councils' Highways safety auditor.'

Mr Reynolds said he hoped after people were made more aware, action would be taken.

He added: 'The lights are costing money, they are adding to light pollution and they are completely unnecessary.'

A spokesperson from the county council's street lighting department said: 'The issue regarding the street lights is being looked at.

'We have to check these things out fully and make sure things are safe, otherwise it will come back on us.

'The traffic officer looks at all sorts of things, traffic-related, not just street lights.

'We are considering it and once we've had the results from the safety audit, we will act accordingly.'

Devon County Cllr Christine Marsh said she wanted to reassure residents the street light issue will be reviewed.

She said: 'Devon County Council wanted to have a trial at the beginning of the year where the lights were turned off on the old A30, but it couldn't happen because a safety audit hadn't been done.

'Within the next three to four years, Devon County Council will have done a part night lighting policy, which will look at all of Devon.'

Cllr Marsh said the county council would be pushing for the safety audit to be done on the road: 'Unfortunately, this area is not within the first being looked at, but this part stretch of road is now being forwarded to the highways north area for the safety audit to be done and therefore given a bit more of a priority.

'Devon is a large county and Devon County Council is looking at its street lighting and I'm hoping, because they need to cut costs like everyone else, that something will be done.'