ALL-PARTY weight was this week thrown behind a determined drive to get Whitchurch's controversial rural gateway scrapped.

The gateway, installed almost two years ago, was slammed as an 'abomination' at an extraordinary meeting of West Devon Borough Council on Tuesday.

Members backed a move by Independent councillor Roger Mathew to have the single-track stretch of road re-instated to two-way traffic 'as a matter of urgent priority'.

Cllr Mathew's motion, backed by all group leaders on the council, called on the borough to acknowledge 'the widespread perception that Grenofen Rural Gateway is ineffective, wasteful, dangerous and adversely affects the overall road network of the area'.

The borough council will now ask the county council to apply 'more appropriate' calming measures and is calling for a site meeting attended by local parties and a member of the county's executive.

Cllr Mathew angrily slammed the 12-month monitoring report issued to the partnership committee — which gave the go-ahead to the scheme — following the installation of the gateway.

He described it as 'a brilliant whitewash — its conclusions flim-flam and padding'.

Cllr Mathew said the gateway — 'an interesting whim' — had done nothing to slow traffic by Whitchurch School, nor had it reduced the number of heavy goods vehicles using Whitchurch Road.

'This abomination must go,' he said.

Another Independent, Cllr Pat Warne, said the area was 'a nightmare'. It was dangerous, she said, as drivers could not tell how long the passing places were, or who had priority in the road.

She added the footpath incorporated into the gateway, which started and ended on the road without leading anywhere, was prone to flooding and the mud bank was 'constantly collapsing'.

Cllr Nicholas Waterhouse, Liberal Democrat group leader, agreed with reducing traffic, but reducing the amount of road available was not the answer. He was also concerned at the effect of the gateway on the main A386.

He said: 'The rural gateway is unnecessary, ineffective, doesn't work for any purpose but has reduced the capacity of the road, which is a vital fall-back of the A386.

'The county is being very stubborn — we have to persuade people they've got it wrong and should put it right.'

And Cllr Dick Eberlie, Conservative group leader, was angry at the lack of consultation and consideration shown by the partnership committee when it reviewed the gateway.

'I am more annoyed about the preservation of this silly thing because of the way local people have been ignored and flouted — above all, let the county listen to local people,' he said.

Liberal Democrat Cllr David Stapleton said the gateway had only served to aggravate traffic problems in the area.

He said: 'This scheme has always been absurd. The more we experience it, the more absurd it is — see sense, for goodness sake.'

Only Cllr Sally Monk, Liberal Democrat member for Walkham, felt the gateway had been beneficial.

She said: 'I feel very sorry that people want to take it back to two- way traffic and take it out completely.'

Mike Parnell, the county's local services officer, told the Times later: 'We took a full monitoring report to the partnership committee in December, which was noted following some lengthy debate.'

He said he could not comment further on the call to scrap the gateway until he had received a written report from the borough council.

The gateway was installed as part of a £26,000 package of traffic calming measures, including a 20mph zone outside Whitchurch School and an 'urban gateway' at the Tavistock end of Whitchurch Road.

The package was recommended following concerns about traffic speeds in the area by local people and Ofsted inspectors at Whitchurch School.

The county's monitoring report claims it would cost £45,000 to remove the scheme.