Ottery Town Council has signed up to a scheme in which local residents carry out minor works on local roads.

Under the Road Warden initiative, communities can undertake jobs for which Devon County Council does not receive Government funding.

These include repairing small potholes that don’t meet the criteria for Highways to take action; removing weeds, clearing drainage gratings, cutting grass and hedges and cleaning signs. The community team can also set up road closures for special events and manage verges to protect wild flowers and wildlife habitats.

Ottery Town Council is looking for a Road Warden and a team of volunteers. The warden's job is to discuss the road improvement work the town council would like to see, agree it with the neighbourhood highway officer, and coordinate the volunteers to carry it out.

These roles are unpaid, but Devon County Council provides training, insurance, signage and PPE, and can lend out specialist equipment.

Asked why local residents should carry out the work when they are paying council tax for highways maintenance, the county council said:

“This additional work, through this agreement, is undertaken to keep communities looking clean and tidy and therefore appealing to visitors.

“DCC does not receive any funding to carry out this type of work and therefore the work is not carried out on the instruction of nor on behalf of DCC.

“Our highest priority is safety and our maintenance budgets are allocated accordingly. All work carried out through the Road Warden scheme is on behalf of the parish or town council or community association.”

The Road Wardens scheme has been running in Devon since 2016, with minor pothole repairs being completed by the wardens and volunteers in several areas.

At the time, Cllr Stuart Hughes, the county council’s Cabinet member for highways management, became a Road Warden for Sidmouth, and said the initiative was a success.

He said: “I’m pleased that we’ve have had chance to make sure the system is tried and tested and I’m sure other wardens across the county will now want to take up the opportunity to carry out similar work.

“The scheme complements our highway maintenance service by providing flexible support which enables communities to deliver their own priority needs.”

To find out more about getting involved in Ottery’s Road Wardens scheme, email the town council at admin@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk