WEST Devon's borough councillors in Okehampton are joining forces to fight a road closure in the town which they are calling a 'huge mistake' on the part of the authorities.

The road behind St James Chapel was closed several weeks ago for work to start on an enhancement project around the chapel by Devon County Council and West Devon Borough Council but traders in St James Street are up in arms, saying it is killing their trade.

At a meeting of West Devon's planning committee ward members for Okehampton Cllrs Joan Pauley and Jayne Hill made emotive pleas to fellow councillors to turn down an application for listed building consent to re-site the red telephone kiosk on the former road because it would end any chance of getting it re-opened.

'There is very strong local opposition to moving the telephone kiosk and pillar box from the side of the chapel,' said Cllr Pauley.

'Once the telephone box is moved around the corner that slip road will never be opened and people locally are very concerned about that.'

Members were told they could only refuse the application by BT Payphones if they felt it would not be right in listed building terms for the kiosk to be relocated on this site.

Planners refused the application on the grounds that 'the quality of the building which justified its listing would be seriously eroded by its being relocated on the proposed site.'

Planning committee chairman Roger Mathew said it was a 'gallant enough rearguard action' but the real reason for refusing the application had nothing to do with the listed building.

'The grounds for refusal are tissue paper-thin,' he said. 'I understand local members want to support it but it will not stand up.'

Following the meeting Cllr Hill vowed she would do all she could to reverse the decision to close the road.

'Cllr Pauley and I are working together on this one,' she said.

'We have got to do something about it and rally the people. I believe if enough people shout about it something can happen.

'The enhancement project could have happened around the road. We live in a rural area — roads are our lifeline — the authorities have the view that we should all be riding around on bicycles or walking.'

Cllr Hill said she could see no benefits to closing the road: 'It is extending all our journeys and the traffic-flow through the town is becoming slower because of it.'

She said St James Street used to be a busy place but now there were plenty of vacant spaces to park.

'Nothing is cast in stone — we all make wrong decisions — the road was reopened about eight years ago after an outcry from local people so I cannot see why it cannot be done again.

'It was a huge mistake to close this road and it is no big thing for authorities to admit they got it wrong on this occasion.'

At a recent meeting in the town, concerned traders of St James Street claimed there had not been enough consultation prior to the road closure.

County councillor Coleen Herriman said at the meeting that former local service officer Tony Lawrence had consulted with individuals street by street and the understanding was that closing the road was acceptable.

She said a lot of money had been invested in the St James Street enhancement and there would be financial repercussions if contracts were broken at this stage.