THE new rural gateway between Whitchurch and Grenofen which has turned out to be a 'bit of a disaster' looks set to be improved.

Pending a favourable decision by West Devon partnership committee next Monday, engineers will spend a week building up the verges which were destroyed by lorries and cars just weeks after the £16,000 scheme was completed in April this year.

The rural gateway was part of a road safety scheme aimed to deter traffic from using the Whitchurch Road as a rat-run. An £8,000 urban gateway was built at the same time at the Tavistock end of the busy road.

But Devon County Council's highways department came in for severe criticism from motorists who complained the scheme was a waste of money.

Many claimed the gateway did nothing to stop vehicles using Whitchurch Road or prevent speeding along it.

Devon County Council highways spokesman Bob Temlett said: 'Traffic engineers and designer people have been looking to improve the gateway to make it more resistant to what is deliberate damage by some drivers.

'At the beginning it was a bit of a disaster. Our traffic engineer witnessed lorries deliberately driving over verges and for some time it was quite a mess.'

Mr Temlett said he hoped the work would be completed within a week.

'We might be able to do it quicker but that depends on the sudden downpours we have been experiencing recently. Often you can end with a worse mess than when you started.'

A safety audit report will be presented to the partnership committee by the county council's local service officer Mike Parnell.

Approximately 500 metres of the road will be blocked off for one week starting on Monday for patch repair work.

Access to properties will be maintained as much as possible from both ends.

Motorists have been advised to use the alternative route: Anderton Lane, the A386 link road to Grenofen and vice-versa.

Paul Marshall of the highways department said: 'We had hoped to carry out both set of works at the same time but now they will have to be split into two parts.

'We need to get on with road repairs at this time of the year because of weather conditions.'

If any problems arise, highway maintenance engineer Nick Pogodin can be contacted on 01837 52773.