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Devon County Council has approved a proposal to reopen a section of Exeter’s Dryden Road to motor traffic, although the road has been closed to through traffic since 2022. The council says £107,000 in Active Travel England revenue funding paid for reconsidering the road and nearby infrastructure; the proposed works are now due to go to public consultation.
Devon County Council has approved a proposal to reopen part of Exeter’s Dryden Road to motor traffic, a route that has been closed to cars as a through road since 2022. The council report says £107,000 in Active Travel England revenue funding has been committed to reconsidering infrastructure on Dryden Road and nearby streets; the approved proposals are now due to go to public consultation.
The proposal was recommended by the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) and approved by the county council. It would reopen the section currently closed to drivers between Well Oak Park and Kipling Drive, around 100 metres, with a proposed 20mph speed limit. The plans include an uphill advisory cycle lane and localised kerb changes to widen the carriageway.
On the western part of Dryden Road, the plan proposes two advisory cycle lanes from the road’s west end to Well Oak Park, where the current closure to drivers begins and a cycle lane already exists. The council also proposes two speed bumps and retaining the existing mini-roundabout layouts and parking spaces. The source report describes these as proposed measures; the public consultation has not yet taken place.
The council’s report states that £107,000 of revenue funding has been committed to reconsidering the road and surrounding area, funded by Active Travel England. Separately, the report puts the proposed project cost at £493,281. Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority had initially provided £500,000 for the project, according to road.cc. The £107,000 is described as funding already committed to review work, not as the cost of the construction proposals.
A Road Reopening With Funding Questions
The decision brings a contested change to a route used by people cycling and walking closer to a public consultation. Dryden Road has served as a car-free connection since 2022; reopening even a short section to motor traffic would alter that arrangement and could affect how people travel between residential areas and destinations including the city centre, shops and hospital. The article reports that campaigners regard the route as a low-conflict link, while some local campaigners argue that reopening it could ease traffic on nearby roads.
The funding disclosure also raises questions about how public transport budgets are used. Devon County Council says Active Travel England funding may support the development of active-travel schemes, including consultation and design. The council says the review was prompted by concerns about traffic displaced onto surrounding roads. Cycling campaigners instead argue that using active-travel money to plan a reopening runs counter to the purpose of the funding. Those are competing interpretations; the disclosed expenditure and the council’s stated rationale are the confirmed details in the report.
The proposal’s effects on safety, congestion and travel patterns have not been established by the information provided. The Exeter Cycling Campaign says the council has demonstrated the plan would increase collisions and congestion, but the source does not provide the evidence or analysis behind that claim. Consultation responses and any supporting assessments will be relevant to evaluating the competing concerns.
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How Dryden Road Reached This Vote
Dryden Road has been permanently closed as a through route to cars since 2022, according to road.cc. The current proposal followed concerns about traffic displaced onto neighbouring roads and a HATOC decision to consult on possible solutions, the county council spokesperson said. The council says the consultation showed a strong preference for returning the road to two-way traffic.
The council says officers then examined ways to allow motor traffic while retaining routes for walking and cycling, and that Active Travel England was involved in discussions about funding and design options. Active Travel England declined to comment on this specific scheme, according to the report. It said local highways authorities are responsible for their schemes and that their delivery of active-travel projects may affect future funding allocations.
The Exeter Cycling Campaign has previously said it may pursue legal action over efforts to fully reopen the road, depending on the consultation outcome. That is a stated possibility, not confirmation that proceedings have begun. The report also notes that some local campaigners support reopening, saying it could reduce traffic on surrounding roads.
“Active Travel England funding can be used to support the development of active travel schemes, including consultation and design work.”
— Devon County Council spokesperson
Consultation And Safety Evidence Pending
The next consultation has not yet taken place, and the source gives no dates, response totals or final decision timetable. Although the council says an earlier consultation showed support for a return to two-way traffic, the material does not state how many people responded, how preferences were measured or how that earlier exercise relates to the forthcoming consultation.
It is also not clear from the source what evidence supports competing predictions about collisions, congestion and air quality, or whether the proposed cycle lanes and kerb changes would address concerns raised by people who oppose reopening. The Exeter Cycling Campaign says the council’s plan would lead to more collisions and congestion; the council says it is seeking to preserve safe and attractive routes. Neither claim is independently established in the supplied reporting.
The exact accounting relationship between the £107,000 already committed and the proposed £493,281 project budget is not detailed. Nor does the source establish whether the full construction budget has been formally secured, when work might begin, or whether the design will change after consultation. Active Travel England’s general comments do not amount to an assessment of this particular scheme.
Public Consultation Before Construction
The immediate next step is a public consultation on the approved proposals. Devon County Council is expected to gather views before determining how to proceed, but the report supplied here does not give a consultation opening date, closing date or subsequent committee timetable.
Residents and road users will be able to consider the proposed reopening, 20mph limit, advisory cycle lanes, kerb alterations and retention of parking and roundabouts. The council’s next decision will clarify whether the design is amended, approved for implementation or reconsidered. The cost, construction schedule and final safety arrangements remain unconfirmed in the available material.
The Exeter Cycling Campaign has said it may consider legal action depending on the consultation outcome. Whether it does so, and whether Active Travel England’s assessment of the council’s future delivery affects later funding, are also unresolved.
Key Questions
What has Devon County Council approved?
The council approved a recommendation to reopen the roughly 100-metre section of Dryden Road between Well Oak Park and Kipling Drive to motor traffic, subject to the next steps. The plan includes a 20mph limit and an uphill advisory cycle lane.
What was the £107,000 spent on?
The council report says £107,000 in Active Travel England revenue funding has been committed to reconsidering infrastructure on Dryden Road and the surrounding area. The material does not provide a detailed breakdown of that expenditure.
Is the road reopening final?
The proposals are due to go to public consultation. The source does not give a consultation timetable or confirm that construction has been authorised, so the final design and implementation remain unsettled.
Why does the cycling campaign oppose the plan?
The Exeter Cycling Campaign says Dryden Road provides a low-conflict connection and argues that reopening it would make cycling less safe and increase congestion. These are the campaign’s claims; the supplied report does not include independent evidence establishing those predicted effects.
Could the funding decision affect future grants?
Active Travel England said local authorities are responsible for their schemes and that their delivery of active-travel projects may affect future funding allocations. It did not comment on this specific project or say that Devon’s future funding would change.
Source: rss
