AS a West Devon and Tavistock town councillor, I would be obliged if I may be permitted to make reply to a point raised by Devon County Councillor Gretta Madigan in her letter defending the 'rural gateway', (Times, December 14).
She states that traffic calming proposals for Whitchurch Road were welcomed by a wide range of county and borough councillors; this is probably correct — as a general principle. As I see it, however, the 'devil' here was in the detail — and the location. For whilst there was — and is — a major problem concerning traffic and road safety in urban Whitchurch Road (between Abbey Bridge and Pooh Corner), there was arguably no problem between Whitchurch and Grenofen.
All the rural gateway has done is create driver anger and frustration — thus, danger on a stretch of road where little existed before.
Sadly I feel the only solution will be to 'throw good money after bad' and return this stretch of road to its previous two-way status, whilst the lesson which I, an elected representative of the people, will learn, hopefully, is to be more vigilant of the detail in the future.
Cllr Ted Sherrell
60 Whitchurch Road
Tavistock