Boost for Teignmouth seafront traffic campaign

Campaigners pushing to get Teignmouth’s seafront road open to traffic all year round have been buoyed by the results of a public survey.

More than 600 people completed the study conducted by the town council, with 552 of them residents of the resort.
When asked if they wanted the Upper Den Carriageway opened in summer as well as winter, 423 said they ‘strongly agreed’ and another 47 ‘agreed’. Those who opposed the idea totalled 130.
Supporters of reopening the road say it will support local businesses and increase parking capacity as well as making the seafront more accessible.
Survey organiser Cllr Robert Phipps (Teignmouth East), who runs two ice cream kiosks on the seafront, said previous attempts to have the road kept open had been thwarted by the Teignbridge highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC).
He told town councillors that the survey had been conducted by a working group at the HATOC’s request, as it wanted to judge public opinion before making any decision.
Cllr Phipps said safety concerns about allowing the road to remain open could be tackled with a 20mph speed limit and clearly marked crossing points, around which parking would be restricted to aid vision.
In a vote that followed, a majority of members agreed to support the proposal and to submit the survey results to the Teignbridge HATOC when it meets at County Hall in Exeter next month.
Town councillor David Cox (Teignmouth West), who as a county councillor chairs the HATOC, said he would not make his thoughts known until the meeting.