Petition confusion reignites closed Exeter road debate

A split has emerged over the way forward over the longstanding closure on an Exeter road after residents were targeted with two separate petitions.

Opposition has been mounting to the closure on Dryden Road because of issues it is causing on nearby roads, as well as pressure on emergency vehicles trying to reach the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital.
But others fear that opening the road would be a detrimental step, and don’t believe it would actually reduce traffic volumes on the neighbouring roads.
An online petition, which secured nearly 2,400 signatures, said that anyone signing it wanted Dryden Road to be opened in both directions to motor vehicles as soon as possible.
But a paper petition said that by signing it, signatories would “support the opening of Dryden Road by requesting a full consultation to replace the existing system with shared and segregated space to address the unintended consequences” of the Dryden Road closure.
Some councillors are angered about the prospect of another consultation because they feel a significant cohort of residents have made their voices heard already, but others believe that a proper consultation that considers a wide range of options is best.
Councillor Angela Nash (Independent, Wonford & St Loyes), a member of Devon County Council, voted against a motion at an Exeter highways and traffic orders (Hatoc) committee last year that proposed another consultation because she felt the will of residents was clear from the online petition.
The Exeter Hatoc includes members of both Devon County Council and Exeter City Council.
“If 2,399 people asked for the road to be re-opened then surely the majority need to be listened to,” Cllr Nash said.
“Dryden Road could be easily reopened with a safe pedestrian walkway and a safe cycle path alongside. This was highlighted as what the majority wanted, but ignored through assumptive decisions.”
Cllr Nash stated that Hatoc members who voted for a consultation “clearly had not read the online petition and assumed the 2,399 people wanted a consultation”.
“Councillors need to read any information relating to such important matters thoroughly as the decision made at Hatroc was made by assumptions rather than facts,” she added.
But Councillor Lynn Wetenhall (Green Party, Newtown & St Leonards) a member of Exeter City Council, believes the vote in favour of a consultation makes sense.
“The online petition wasn’t ignored, as officers made it clear that immediately reopening Dryden Road wasn’t possible,” Cllr Wetenhall said.
She added that a range of options were presented to Hatoc members, but because of the strength of feeling over the road’s continued closure, it was felt a consultation was a suitable option so that the public could formally express their opinions and options could be considered.
“I don’t understand what’s not to like from the outcome,” Cllr Wetenhall said.
“It’s a big plus because doing a consultation will mean we can look at the area as a whole, and that’s a real positive.
“Some people think if you reopen Dryden Road it will remove traffic from Bovemoors Lane, but we actually think it would increase it, so it’s good the whole thing will be looked at.”
She added that council officers had confirmed that the traffic regulation order on Dryden Road could not simply be removed, adding that even if it was taken away, it would create a gap in a cycle route, something that would essentially be against Devon County Council policy.
At October’s Hatoc meeting, the committee heard from the Exeter Cycling campaign, which presented a petition of 1,800 signatures calling for “safe, affordable travel by foot, wheels or bike”, reiterating its importance for the E9 route.
And Helen Montgomery, a local resident, presented a petition of 2,300 signatures following on from a previous one which took the number to around 4,000 “asking for Dryden Road to be reopened in both directions to motor vehicles with options considered to allow all users safe access”. And Terry Croker, another local resident, presented a petition with views that previous consultations had failed to secure an “adequate consensus”.
Elsewhere, Cllr Nash highlighted a Freedom of Information request from February 2024 that revealed the trust that runs the Exeter hospital had only been contacted once up until that point by Devon County Council regarding the Dryden Road closure, “but not to ascertain if the trust is still happy” with it.
The FoI request further showed that the trust contacted the county council in April 2021 highlighting “concerns for Bovemoors Lane, Church Lane and Haldon View Terrace where the traffic has increased significantly since the changes”.
“It advised that a further unintended consequence is the impact to blue light services,” the trust said in the FoI request.
“The route into the hospital emergency department for the blue light ambulance service is often from Barrack Road into Haldon View Terrace via the Church Lane entrance or from Dryden Lane into Bovemoors Lane via the Church Lane entrance.
“The increased vehicular activity and subsequent congestion in these areas during peak times impedes the progress of the ambulances accessing the emergency department. The increased traffic flow further limits ease of access for the fire & rescue services.”
The future situation with Dryden Road and those surrounding it could be raised at the next Exeter Hatoc meeting, which takes place next week, but it’s unlikely the full parameters of a public consultation will have been established yet