A PLEA to consider alternative traffic calming measures in Whitchurch Road in preference to the 'dangerous' rural gateway was thrown out by councillors at a meeting in Okehampton last week.
The traffic calming scheme, including an 'urban gateway' at the Tavistock end of the road, 20mph speed limit by Whitchurch School and the single-track rural gateway, had produced a 'beneficial effect upon the welfare of the overall community', West Devon partnership committee was told.
But several councillors at the meeting refuted the findings of the 12-month monitoring report.
Cllr Ted Sherrell, ward member for Tavistock South and Whitchurch Road resident, called for the gateway to be removed altogether.
He described the one-track section of road as a 'chicane from the Monaco Grand Prix' which had no positive effect, though he agreed with the other aspects of the scheme.
'Please take away the rural gateway — it's potentially dangerous, certainly causes frustration and has done nothing to help Whitchurch Road in terms of speed,' he said.
Tavistock county councillor Roy Connelly said the gateway was a 'recipe for accidents' and queried official accident totals for the area, which only include injury accidents reported to police.
He said the committee were only being given the option to have the gateway or get rid of it.
'Why not consider an alternative option? It needs to be made a lot safer,' said Cllr Connelly.
Cllr Nicholas Waterhouse, ward member for Burrator, said Whitchurch Road was an important alternative to the A386 and to reduce its capacity was not sensible, particularly if there were problems with the main Tavistock to Plymouth route.
'There is a far wider dimension to this than just a little bit of road with all its nasty earthworks,' he said.
And Tavistock ward member Cllr Dick Eberlie said local councils and societies consulted about the gateway were 'uniformly critical' of it.
But Cllr Eberlie's proposal that alternative traffic calming measures be investigated failed.
Cllr Bill Cann, chairman of Dartmoor National Park and county councillor for Hatherleigh and Chagford, said: 'It's not perfect but it's doing some of the job it was suggested to do. It was to get the speed down and stop through traffic racing through — that's what it's done to a point.'
Cllr Gretta Madigan, Yelverton county councillor, said the gateway was 'far from perfect' but she liked the fact it looked 'more natural' and thought it would improve with time.
'It does deter drivers from using that road — it is an improvement,' she said.
And Cllr Richard Phillips, ward member for Walkham, had received several letters praising the gateway, which he said had reduced speeds and would lessen the likelihood of serious injury accidents.
The committee agreed to note the monitoring report, which found there had been fewer injury crashes and a 21 per cent reduction in 24-hour two-way traffic along Whitchurch Road.
Traffic speed had been reduced considerably through the gateway although there was a one to two mph increase in speed past Whitchurch School, which the report found 'rather disappointing.'
The scheme, which cost some £26,000, was instigated following concerns over speeding in the area by residents and Ofsted inspectors visiting Whitchurch School. It was completed in June 2000.