Residents fear serious accidents as trucks speed through Alphington

Campaigners trying to stop trucks speeding through narrow streets today warned: “It’s only a matter of time before there’s a serious accident.”

They say rogue lorry drivers are cutting through Alphington, putting residents at risk.

Labour councillors Rob Harding and Yvonne Atkinson, both of whom represent the ward on Exeter City Council, have been on the streets with Lucy Findlay, Labour’s city council candidate for Alphington.

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They say local people have raised growing concerns about the volume and speed of construction traffic linked to nearby new developments.

Hundreds of new homes are being built in the countryside around Alphington, and heavy lorries are making dozens of trips to and from the site every day.

The councillors have now called on Devon County Council and the city council’s planning enforcement team to clamp down and enforce strict conditions imposed on developers building nearby.

Major developments are subject to management plans for construction traffic, meaning heavy lorries should use specific routes, often avoiding village centres and residential streets, and must be directed to and from the site via major roads.

The county council has put in place orders to route lorries away from Alphington’s centre and residential streets. Among the orders is one that says heavy goods vehicles must use Church Road instead of taking shortcuts through the residential area.

Ms Findlay said she had also contacted local haulage companies directly, reminding them to adhere to agreed routes and avoid cutting through Alphington’s residential areas.

“The risk posed by speeding tipper trucks through our village is unacceptable,” she said. “It’s only a matter of time before there’s a serious accident if nothing changes.”

And Cllr Atkinson added, “We’re calling on the councils to make developers take responsibility and ensure construction traffic uses the designated access routes, not our village streets.”