CAMPAIGNERS calling for drivers to slow down in West Devon have welcomed news that the county council will look again at reducing red tape stopping communities installing flashing speed signs themselves, write Daniel Clark and Sarah Pitt.

Cllr Alan Connett, Liberal Democrat group leader on Devon County Council, has asked council’s cabinet for an urgent review of procedure currently frustrating parish councils and residents.

The move has given hope to campaigners calling for action on a deadly spot on the B3215 at Sampford Courtenay.

Residents want action taken to warn drivers as they approach bends on the dangerous stretch of the road between Sampford Courtenay railway station and The Countryman pub. However, despite a petition from residents last year, no county council action has yet been taken.

Kim Allsebrook, of The Beeches near Sampford Courtenay, has been campaigning for a speed limit reduction on this stretch of the B3215 along with Sampford Courtenay Parish Council.

She said: ‘This would definitely be a step in the right direction. Flashing speed signs definitely do work and something certainly needs to be done sooner rather than later.

‘We could fund it ourselves, it all depends on the cost and whether we could raise the money for it.’

Cllr Connett told the county council’s cabinet on Wednesday last week (April 8) that ‘the real problem here is the county council is getting in the way of local communities that want to help themselves and work on solutions that will make their villages and roads safer’.

‘County Hall is insisting that all applications for flashing speed signs have to be cleared by its own Speed Compliance Action Review Forum (SCARF),’ he said.

‘SCARF is a mysterious meeting made up of highways officers from County Hall and a police officer.

‘It’s this forum which assesses if there really is a problem that needs action.

‘However, for many communities, the residents and parish councils believe there is a speed issue that needs to be tackled and if they want to spend their funds on a flashing speed sign to remind drivers of the speed limit, then Devon County Council should help and not hinder making our local roads safer.’

He said parishes wanted to install ‘vehicle activated signs’ (VAS) which were triggered by vehicles driving past above a certain speed.

The cabinet agreed that its Traffic Speed Project Group should look again at the process by which parish and town councils could fund and install their own flashing speed signs.

Meg Booth, the chief officer for highways, infrastructure development and waste, said the county council had already worked with parish councils who had funded own flashing speed signs (a VAS) including Sticklepath in West Devon.

‘VAS have been shown to be effective in reducing vehicles speeds when sited appropriately and can also be an important element of a coordinated approach to speed management in communities,’ she said.

Parishes in the Tavistock area also said they would welcome any reduction in red tape as speeding was a big issue in places like Mary Tavy.