Topsham residents voice their delight at speed plans

PEOPLE who live and work in Topsham have voiced their delight at news the town will soon become a 20mph zone.

The joint highways committee at Devon County Council approved a road safety scheme to be introduced in the area at a meeting held earlier last month.

Percy Giles, PCSO for Topsham, is one of many people who welcome the decision after working on speeding issues for a number of months as part of the town's partners and communities together initiative.

He said: "I'm very pleased the council has approved the plans. I have been speaking to residents who have campaigned for those measures and said I will do my best to enforce them.

"People are very pleased with the news."

Lily Neal, 50, who works in Joel Segal book store, said: "I'm very happy Topsham is to become a 20mph zone. I would be very pleased to see flashing indicators (displaying motorists' speeds)."

But she added: "I'm not so pleased about speed bumps. I do think, even when one is driving slowly, they can be quite aggravating and fairly annoying for cyclists."

Sharon Whittingham, 42, of Greatwood Terrace, said: "There is quite a bit of a need for such measures. Drivers do go fast on High Street and on Denver Road.

"You particularly tend to notice their speeds on a night time."

Lesley White, 43, of Altamira, said: "I think it is a good decision. People do drive up High Street and small lanes too quickly and there are quite a lot of children in Topsham."

County councillor Andrew Leadbetter attended the highways committee meeting in which the decision was approved.

He said: "I endorse the measures because it is pedestrians' safety at stake.

"In the survey we did a number of months ago (at Matthews Hall to gauge residents' opinions on the plans), a majority of people were in favour.

"It's just a case of moving things forward now and getting it all in place.