THE controversial Whitchurch rural gateway will once more go under the spotlight at a meeting in Okehampton tomorrow (Friday).

A move to scrap the single-track gateway at Grenofen and restore two-way working to the road will be put to West Devon's highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) by Plasterdown Parish Council.

The council has heavyweight backing for the request — Tavistock Town Council, Horrabridge Parish Council and West Devon Borough Council all support the proposal, with West Devon re-affirming its opposition to the gateway at Tuesday's full council meeting.

Plasterdown Parish Council chairman Cllr Ian Walton said there was 'overwhelming opposition' to the gateway.

He said: 'With all three local councils, the borough council and, more importantly, local residents all saying the same thing, one would hope they will take notice of the strength of feeling.

'All we can do is put our case forward and hope that common sense prevails.'

Tavistock borough councillor Roger Mathew has asked that the request be put to HATOC.

Cllr Mathew said: 'The key is that this issue is not going to go away. I think the official line is if it stands there long enough, the problem will go away, but it isn't settling down, people are not accepting it, they are getting more and more furious and while the issue hasn't gone away I am more than happy to take it up.'

The rural gateway was installed in 2000 by the now defunct West Devon partnership committee. It was part of a £26,000 package of traffic calming measures, which included an 'urban' gateway at the Tavistock end of Whitchurch Road and a 20mph speed limit outside Whitchurch School.

But the rural gateway has proved very unpopular with residents and there have been repeated calls for it to be scrapped, including an all-party move by West Devon borough councillors, who clashed with their county council colleagues on the partnership committee over the issue.

The move failed narrowly, though some modifications were carried out to the gateway to improve visibility in the area.

The HATOC meeting takes place in the borough council offices in Okehampton at 2.15pm.