New speed bumps in West Hill have been branded ‘ineffective’, ‘intrusive’ and ‘totally inappropriate’ for the woodland village.

Devon County Council (DCC) defended the traffic calming measures that were installed early this year, saying they were chosen following consultation with residents and in accordance with national standards.

But West Hill resident and county councillor Claire Wright said she was ‘baffled’ as to why DCC committee members chose to install the large humps, as opposed to recommended smaller cushions.

Councillor Wright said she conducted a straw poll to gather people’s views on whether speed calming measures were wanted and, if so, whether the cushions proposed by highways officers were acceptable.

A majority responded in favour of speed cushions to slow traffic and this was reported back to highways officers.

But Cllr Wright said some members of DCC’s Highways and Traffic Orders Committee overrode the recommendations, voting instead for the more intrusive ‘table-top’ humps.

She said: “I am as baffled today as I was at that meeting as to why Conservative councillors overrode highways officer recommendations and the local member’s own consultation. I don’t know anyone who likes this sort of intrusive speed hump – and, of course, the complaints are now coming in.” Cllr Wright’s comments were made in response to complaints from people in the village.

Tony Wilkinson, of Warren Park, wrote to the Herald to voice his concern about the measures (see page 10).

A DCC spokesman said: “The three pairs of speed bumps were constructed at the beginning of this year following a public consultation in the autumn of 2014. The flat-top, raised table-style of traffic calming was chosen over ‘speed cushions’ because of concerns about the affect speed cushions could have on drivers with certain disabilities and on those moving livestock. They have been constructed to national standards and comply with the latest design criteria.”