A new zebra crossing will be installed on Crediton Road near St James Primary in Okehampton this summer, years after residents first raised concerns over pedestrian safety in the area.

Devon County Council is set to begin work in June 2026 and will create the new crossing 12.5 metres north-east of Kellands Lane and 13 metres south-west of the junction with Fort Road.

West Devon Borough Councillor George Dexter, who has long campaigned for improved road safety along Crediton Road, welcomed the news, saying that it was “really, really needed for everyone’s safety,” but added there was still work to do.

“We need the footpath from Chichacott Road to Fort Road on the school side of Crediton Road now,” he said. Currently, there is no uninterrupted path between the two streets on the north side of Crediton Road.

Many residents have previously highlighted their concerns about the lack of a suitable pavement along the road to the school, forcing schoolchildren and other pedestrians to walk on the busy road, which is known as a speeding hotspot. Last year, West Devon Borough Council and nearby housing developers agreed to fund the construction of a pathway from Nexus Way to the school, which is also due to be built this summer.

Under the original plans, St James Primary School was located within the housing estate between Crediton Road and Exeter Road, and included safe pedestrian routes to the school. The school site was later moved, but no plans for safe pedestrian access to the new site were made.

The plans for the new zebra crossing can be viewed online at devon.cc/tro, with the reference imr/DEV001/1609 or at Devon Libraries during opening hours. Alternatively, the plans are available at the county council offices at County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon EX2 4QD.