Campaigners have branded Sidford and Sidbury’s ‘bottleneck’ roads ‘too narrow’ to handle the increased transit of lorries.

Sidmouth Herald: Councillor Marianne Rixson is worried that HGVs and lorries travelling past Sidbury Mill will cause congestion as only one big vehicle can pass the narrow bend at a time.Councillor Marianne Rixson is worried that HGVs and lorries travelling past Sidbury Mill will cause congestion as only one big vehicle can pass the narrow bend at a time. (Image: Archant)

Councillor Marianne Rixson said traffic is predicted to increase by a third along ‘pinch point’ roads if plans for a business park in Sidford go ahead.

She said the roads are already congested – particularly School Street, near Sidbury Mill and through Sidbury – and branded claims that the site ‘is well served by highway access’ as misleading.

Cllr Rixson, who represents the Sidmouth-Sidford ward on East Devon District Council, said: “The roads are too narrow yet they are predicting a 32 per cent increase in traffic through School Street if the development is approved – Sidbury, too, has various ‘pinch points’ where two vehicles cannot pass.” She added that there needed to be a ‘duty of care’ to pedestrians on roads where there are no pavements.

And with HGVs nearly three metres wide, Cllr Rixson fears two lorries could not pass each other in School Street – which is just 4.8 metres wide.

She said: “The A375 is an upgraded B road and is essentially still a B road. Already lorries drive on the pavement in School Street and, in Sidbury, there are stretches where there are no pavements at all.”

Devon County Council’s highways team is being consulted on the application and said it is considering its response.