New slip road will end traffic through village
LORRIES will stop thundering past people’s homes after plans for a new slip road off the A38 at Lee Mill in Devon have been agreed.
The proposals would see a new A38 eastbound off-slip at Lee Mill, which would connect vehicles exiting the A38 to the industrial estate and village, while avoiding unnecessary trips through Lee Mill village.
Devon County Council unanimously gave approval for the scheme to move to the outline design and planning permission stage.
The new slip road would leave the elevated A38 and descend towards a new roundabout, providing a tie-in with the existing local road network.
Cllr Andrea Davis, cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, told the cabinet meeting that while the junction was designed for access to the village of Lee Mill, it is now used as the access to a large industrial estate and a large Tesco.
She said: “The scheme will remove the traffic through the village that residents have long wanted to happen, and I can only feel sorry for them. This improves access to the industrial estate and provides a connection to the strategic road network.”
Cllr Roger Croad added: “This is a great boom for the local people not to have trucks and lorries and people coming off the east of the A38 and thundering past their houses. It is a great scheme and will replace tired and dilapidated farm buildings as well, so it is a really good thing for the local area.”
Leader of the council, Cllr John Hart, whose ward the site lies in, added: “This was something that they regretted and overlooked when they did phase 2 of the industrial estate. It will also take the opportunity away for people to accidentally go the wrong way up the slipway.”
Under the proposals, which the cabinet approved, the existing eastbound off-slip would be stopped up to through traffic and no longer provide access from the A38 and would allow Plymouth Road to return to a more appropriate function.
The new A38 eastbound off-slip would be constructed to the east of the existing slip road and connect traffic to the industrial estate and the village via a new roundabout. This new junction would replace the existing priority junction where Beech Road and Plymouth Road meet.
As the National Cycle Network route crosses Beech Road near the proposed roundabout, improved cycle facilities to enhance connectivity and safety will be included.
Feedback from a consultation event last Autumn was overwhelmingly positive, with 93 per cent of respondents recognising the need for a new eastbound off-slip at Lee Mill and 89 per cent supporting the proposals.
The meeting heard that while the relocation of the eastbound off-slip will result in slightly longer journey lengths to Lee Mill village, it will benefit from reduced traffic noise and pollution and improved road safety on Plymouth Road. Dave Black, head of planning, transportation and environment, in his report, said: “When the A38 Lee Mill junction was built, a formal eastbound off-slip was not constructed. Instead, the historic Plymouth Road has been used for access. This road has village features [...]. It is inappropriate for slip road traffic, leading to concerns over noise, air quality and safety .”