Anger over Sidmouth to Ottery road closure

Businesses and councillors are angry at highways bosses after the closure on the road from Sidmouth to Ottery has been extended.

A section of the carriageway near Tipton has now been shut for a fortnight, and could be for at least another week according to Devon County Council.

Diversions are in place for drivers trying to get from Sidmouth to Ottery, but Franky Teissier, who owns the Golden Lion Inn in Tipton with his wife Michelle, is unhappy about the signs for the closure.

He said they are not clear enough, and are leading to cars and lorries trying to get to the village having to turn back and go on long diversions.

“They told us it would be two weeks but now its four weeks,” he said.

“It’s been a nightmare.”

Mr Teissier said this was the third time in three years the road had been closed, and it was not good enough.

Lyn Harding, who represents Tipton on Ottery Town Council, said the road to Harpford was becoming a ‘rat run’, with large vehicles trying to avoid the road closure, and is now badly damaged.

She said there had been numerous complaints from people in the village about the road closure.

Councillor Roger Giles also questioned why both sides of the road had to be closed during the work, and could not be kept partially open to allow traffic through during the resurfacing.

A spokesman for Devon Councty Council said the work, which began on Januray 21, is now expected to finish on Friday, February 15.

He said the road closure was essential to: “Enable structural work to be carried out to a retaining wall, following a landslip.”