As documented on this website, in recent years Devon County Council has been working with the Heavitree and Whipton community to address issues affecting their local streets. As part of this work, the Council has been developing proposals for a potential Active Streets trial scheme. This would involve the installation of several modal filters to remove through vehicular traffic from the residential streets, using planter boxes and bollards. These are designed to create an improved environment and enable more people to walk, wheel and cycle, whilst ensuring all properties remain accessible by car.
At the 20 June meeting of the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC), committee members will decide whether this scheme should be implemented. To reduce the risk of delay to implementation of the scheme if approved by this committee, road space booking requests have been placed for the works required to install the modal filters. Emergency services and other key stakeholders will be notified of these planned works, and the associated Temporary Traffic Regulation Notices will be publicly available via the One Network website. However, these works will only be undertaken if the trial scheme is approved by this committee; if the scheme is not approved, the road space bookings will be cancelled.
If the scheme is approved, it will be implemented on a trial basis, for up to 18 months, during which there will be a further statutory public consultation. The results of this consultation would inform a decision regarding whether to make the changes permanent.
It is also planned to hold several community engagement events and send leaflets to residents of the area in advance of the trial, to help explain the implications of the changes. Further information regarding these will be made available in due course.
The HATOC report will be published at Agenda for Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee on Tuesday, 20th June, 2023, 10.30 am – Democracy in Devon. If you wish to give a presentation at the HATOC meeting either in support or objection to the Active Streets Trial, you must call 01392 382299 by 12 noon on the fourth working day before the meeting. Should the scheme generate a large number of people wishing to give a presentation, individuals may be asked to nominate a spokesperson to present their views.
If you have any further queries regarding the scheme, please email exeterstreets@devon.gov.uk.