No short cuts on Exeter road closure

Councillors given the job of deciding what to do about Exeter’s most contentious road closure have been told they must do all they can to consult local people.

Some members of the city’s highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) wanted to cut out delays and costs by going straight to the re-opening of Dryden Road, but chairman Michael Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard and Pennsylvania) told them there could be no short cuts.
Dryden Road has been closed to vehicles since the Covid pandemic, when it was turned into a safe route for cycling, wheeling and walking in and out of the city centre.
Supporters of the closure say it has created a safer, cleaner environment, but opponents say it has just moved congestion and pollution to other neighbouring roads as well as encouraging drivers to ‘rat run’ through the nearby hospital grounds.
A wide-ranging consultation will now go ahead on a number of options, ranging from leaving the road as it is to opening it up to two-way traffic again, with segregated lanes for cyclists.
Cllr Angela Nash (Ind, Wonford and St Loyes) said the committee could save time and thousands of pounds by simply selecting ‘Option Three’, for two-way vehicle traffic with a ‘light segregated cycle facility’. Cycle lanes would be provided along the full length of Dryden Road, from Barrack Road to Wonford Street, and current restrictions would be removed.
“It would be quicker to just move this rather than have a consultation,” said Cllr Nash. “It would take 21 days and it wouldn’t be taking money from our residents.
“We need to have the courage to represent our electorate and say we want the road opened. We don’t need a formal consultation that will cost £25,000.”
Cllr Neil Stevens (Reform, Alphington and Cowick) went on: “For such a short road, how has it taken so long and how has it taken so much money?
“This needs to be sorted out sooner. We know which option we should go for, because it pleases everybody. Let’s use our common sense and try to save some money.”
But Cllr Mitchell insisted: “We can’t just go down there this afternoon and dig up the bollards. There is a legal process that we have to follow, and that means a public consultation.
“We are trying to expedite this as quickly as possible.”
And Exeter city councillor Duncan Wood (Lab, Pinhoe) added: “I am often frustrated by the timescales attached to this process, but we want to ensure that everybody is heard.”
The consultation will begin next month, with a report back to the HATOC on the chosen option later in the year.