ONE of Okehampton's long running traffic problems could come to an end soon with works on an approach to the town set to get the green light. Traffic flow has been impeded for the past 14 months in New Road while work has been delayed on repairs to a garden wall of a property above the road in Prospect Hill. Scaffolding has been erected with netting to prevent debris falling down the 70ft bank to the busy B3260 road below. Devon County Council installed 'temporary' traffic lights, which have been there since December 2005. Work should start at the end of this month and the scaffolding and traffic lights removed in about four to five months. While motorists have had to put up with the delays, residents on New Road have had to live with the build up of traffic and vapours from cars and lorries stopped at the lights. Problems arose over who had responsibility for the repair bill but these have now been sorted out with the insurers of the management company of the property, whose wall is causing the falling debris. The management company has regularly been in contact with Exeter-based Cunningham Lindsey, the loss adjustors acting on behalf of the insurers, Norwich Union. The work will cost 'hundreds of thousands of pounds', according to the loss adjustors. Lyn Aitken, a spokeman for Cunningham Lindsey, told the Times: 'There is existing substantial work at various stages to be undertaken to complete the project. We have just received a 30-page technical report from our engineers. 'Subject to work being approved by the insurers, it should start at the end of February and take four to five months to complete.' Pam Stewart, one of four apartment owners at Carclaze in Prospect Hill, said she could not wait for the work to come to an end so she could have her garden back. She understands the frustrations of residents who live below on New Road. Mrs Stewart said: 'We are cheesed off as much as they are but we have been told the work is now imminent. 'The delay has been caused by the splitting up of work with different contractors. It's not our fault.' Mrs Stewart added that the insurance company was not to blame but it was having difficulty in finding specialist builders to do the job. There was no danger to the apartments themselves as they were built on a granite foundation. She said people would know when the work begins when tree specialists start to do the coppicing and that the county council had already given permission for this. Adrian Lane, a spokesman for Devon County Council, said: 'The cost of the traffic lights is not being paid for by the taxpayer but is being picked up by the insurance company for the property.'
