Funding secured to improve street lighting in Alfington
Resident Phil Harrow says cars outside Summerlands Cottage have been written off as vehicles do not see cars coming due to inadequate street lighting. - Credit: Archant
‘Inadequate’ street lighting in Alfington, which has resulted in residents cars being written off, looks set to be improved after councillors voted to fund the project.
Resident Phil Harrow says cars outside Summerland Cottage have been written off as vehicles do not see cars coming due to inadequate street lighting. - Credit: Archant
Resident Phil Harrow approached Ottery Town Council to see if it would contribute towards a £1,800 project to install two new lights on existing telegraph poles outside Summerlands Cottages.
At a meeting on Monday, he said the road leading up to the cottages were a ‘significant dark area’ and residents’ cars had been damaged as a result of vehicles coming round a blind bend too quickly.
Following a site visit from Devon County Council, he was told no action was necessary and decided to approach the council.
Mr Harrow said: “Six cars have been written off or damaged in the past few years at night and sometimes during the day, frequent near misses go unreported.
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“I have decided I will do something about this being community spirited and decided we should improve the road markings, road signs and definitely the lighting in front of Summerlands Cottages because there isn’t any.
“The lighting is inadequate it does not illuminate the highway or the uneven pavement that is there at the moment.”
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Councillor Claire Wright has already agreed to pay half of the total with her county council locality budget and on Monday, the town council voted to contribute the remaining £900.
Cllr Paul Bartlett, chairman of the finance committee, said the council had enough money in its budget to cover the costs.
Cllr Josefina Gori added: “If we have the money available we should be supporting our villages too.
The decision was unanimously agreed by councillors.
A site meeting will now be arranged with Devon County Council’s street light team with the hope to install the lights.
Mr Harrow said after the meeting: “The impact will be to illuminate the main road outside Summerlands Cottages at night, thus allowing drivers to quickly identify the parked cars as they come off the blind bend by Summer Lane. Hopefully, there will be no more passing traffic crashing into parked cars in Alfington at night.”
