SAFETY measures will not be undertaken at Tavistock’s Brook Lane roundabout at the current time, Devon County Council has said, despite concerns from police and road users that a ‘number of near-misses’ have been witnessed at the site.

Residents in Tavistock have been calling for measures to be put in place on the A386 roundabout near Westmoor Vets. They claimed to have regularly seen motorists driving over the roundabout or on the wrong side of the road.

But despite concerns, Devon County Council announced that following a recent safety audit at Brook Lane, it was not planning to conduct any improvements ‘at the current time’.

In June 2018, a proactive police operation was held in a bid to address persistent road issues at the location. Police from Tavistock said there had been a ‘number of near-misses’ at the site due to people not paying attention to the road layout and the rules of a roundabout.

The following year Devon County Council announced a ‘number of options’ were being considered to improve the safety of the roundabout for commuters — and roadworks were undertaken on the A386.

During the time of the roadworks some residents believed the roundabout had been ‘repositioned’, as well as the junction joining Brook Lane to the A386 but this has been denied by the county council.

One resident said: ‘It is now extremely dangerous, made ridiculously dangerous by people driving straight over it when coming from the Plymouth direction towards Tavistock and not bothering to slow down at all.’

The sentiment was supported on social media by other regular motorists on this stretch of road who have witnessed illegal manoeuvres in the last month.

The county council announced on Tuesday (February 4) that no safety measures were carried out — or will be carried out at this current time — and that the site was simply given a fresh coat of paint at the time of the roadworks at the end of last year.

A spokesman for Devon County Council said: ‘The extent of recent work was resurfacing and our contractor has confirmed that the roundabout and its junctions have been reinstated in the same location.

‘A safety audit has been carried out and the police have not recorded a collision involving injury at this site for more than five years.

‘When using the roundabout we urge motorists not drive over the roundabout and instead drive around  the central markings.’

Devon County councillor for Tavistock and Gulworthy Debo Sellis added that she has taken residents’ concerns to Highways and to the police.

‘Police have said they will put officers at the site to check for people not using the roundabout properly,’ she said. ‘I encourage drivers to adhere to the Highway Code and I hope people just slow down.’