A controversial road scheme introduced several years ago between Tavistock and Horrabridge will come into sharp focus at a public meeting next week.

Residents of Whitchurch Road are invited to attend the open meeting on November 4, to discuss traffic issues since the installation of the 'rural gateway' — the 500-yard stretch of road was changed from two-way to single track with passing places in a bid to calm traffic. But local people feel it has caused more traffic chaos.

In early 2009 Horrabridge Parish Council, Tavistock Town Council and the Plasterdown Group Parishes met to discuss the recurring complaints with traffic using the Whitchurch road from Abbey Bridge to Horrabridge.

Following the meeting a report was submitted to the West Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) with ideas on how to overcome the issues raised by residents, including turning the road into a 'green lane', making it more pedestrian-oriented than vehicle-oriented.

Devon Highways agreed to carry out a review of the road earlier this year.

Sue Spackman from Plasterdown Parish Council said the review was 'based on historic information' and did not highlight any of the issues which currently affected residents.

In July 2009 and July 2010 the council groups carried out a traffic count along the full length of the road to ascertain the number and type of traffic movements and whether there were any changes from year to year.

Mrs Spackman said: 'We decided we needed to research what traffic used the road, so in July 2009 we carried out a traffic count and 12 months later we did it again on the same day.

'We got an idea of how the traffic was moving and found an increase of traffic on Whitchurch Road and less traffic on Anderton Lane.'

Mrs Spackman said as a parish councillor she has a lot of people telling her about their issues with the road, which is why the public meeting was being held.

She said: 'We decided to hold a public meeting to bring residents up to date on what's been happening and to see if there are any recurring issues that come up that we could put into a document which could be presented to HATOC.'

Town, borough and county councillor for Tavistock Debo Sellis said: 'A decision was made years ago to put the traffic calming on that road but after speaking to residents the feeling was that not many people were in favour of it.

'In reality I think people want to get rid of it but with the financial state at the moment it's not really practical to do so. But as a county councillor I am trying to keep it on the agenda to keep the project alive.

'There have been surveys done but evidence showed that speeding wasn't an issue. I use the road and people do speed along it. It is very difficult to get data for accidents because not all of them are reported. We suggest anyone who has their cars damaged — scratches, wing mirrors knocked off — to report the damage so that evidence can be gathered.'

It is hoped feedback from residents at the meeting will assist the parish group in its representations to Devon County Council and HATOC.

The meeting is at Whitchurch Village Hall on Thursday November 4 at 7.30pm. Copies of the original report and the traffic count will be available at the meeting.