BY the end of this year there could be a plan for a safe crossing point for pedestrians at the bottom of Marsh Lane, on Lords Meadow, Crediton, so long as Devon County Council can complete surveys and a design.

Crediton Town Council’s Policy and Forward Planning Committee, meeting on Tuesday, was discussing the road widening scheme for Marsh Lane with Lewis Ward of Devon County Council Planning, Transportation and Environment department.

He said the county council had been going to widen the whole of Marsh Lane but then went for straightening the bends at the bottom.

Mr Ward said that during negotiations for road widening, he had become aware of hopes for a safe pedestrian crossing. However, there were Government guidelines for this which could make it difficult to find a suitable place.

Cllr Bill Dixon said there was “real difficulty” there in crossing the road, Cllr Frank Letch said that accident prevention was needed.

Committee chairman, Cllr Liz Brookes-Hocking, said her misgivings about straightening Marsh Lane were that it would speed traffic.

Cllr Dixon complained that he had warned about this difficulty if the link road was opened before other work was done.

Mr Ward had said traffic had increased on Marsh Lane, therefore a pedestrian crossing was needed, for which certain criteria had to be met before this could be done. “Rubbish,” said Cllr Dixon.

“Children go to the Leisure Centre and schools, we need a crossing point there. You (Devon County Council) built the link road, you made the problem, now we need a solution,” he said.

Crediton’s county councillor Nick Way said he had received complaints about road safety at the bottom of Marsh Lane, including from a haulier, where some motorists took a straight line through the curves instead of sticking to the road.

“A driver could clip the edge of the kerb and lose control. It is dangerous,” he said.

Cllr Brookes-Hocking added that if the road was straightened, motorists would speed up. “It is like getting to the top of the Big Dipper when you are doing down,” she added.

Cllr John Downes added that cars going from Exhibition Road over-compensate for the chicane.

Several councillors observed that it was not for the town council to find a safe crossing point. That was the job of the county engineers.

Mr Ward said it was not that the county council could not do it, it needed to sure it could achieve the design standards. Five clear metres were needed either side of a crossing.

It could take two months to complete a pedestrian survey but to be allowed to depart from the Government guidelines would take more time.

There could be a compromise. The whole of Marsh Lane would not need to be widened. A plan for the lower part could be produced by the end of this year.

Mr Ward said the most complicated part would be to come up with a design for a pedestrian crossing that would fit the Government guidelines.

RED ROADS

It is likely that Crediton High Street will have a few red patches by today (September 11).

Back in January, the town council was told the town’s part-time loading bays could be painted a different colour.

By July red was decided on with the county council which was asked to get the work done as quickly as possible.

It should have begun this week.