Dawlish Discussion

Today, my wife and I were forced into the hedge when a van came up the Secmaton lane "footpath only" with no regards for us or the young woman with a push chair behind us.  

I had noticed that the pillars at the west entrance had all  been pulled up and mud hastilly used to fill the holes.

 When we got to the east end of the lane we found that those pillars had also been removed! Somoeone, we assume a disgruntled local had done this during the night.  

I'm assuming to allow traffic to use the " public footpath" as a road.    there is a clear sign saying public footpath only at the east end but the west end has had

the sign ripped down along with the bollards as already mentioned!

Anyone got any Idea who has done this?

I am contacting the police as this is clearly a public footpath and also who should I contact regards the council and road traffics act?

The lane was for years always fully open to road traffic so I think you may find that if anything illeagal has happened it was actually putting the bollards there thus obstructing the highway.

Hope you get to the truth of what the leagal situation is as it caused quite a bit of controversey when whoever put the bollards there thus effectivley closing the road.

The lane was closed as no longer suitable for through traffic by highway control.    Signs were placed either end informing  drivers of a "no through road".   Further signs were then added to the "public footpath" strip that exists today to enforce these changes.  This was quite legal so take your problems up with the council and road traffic departments.   The council were well within the law to do this and  not step outside the law.     

My point is not the past but who took it upon themselves to illegaly remove the bollards putting pedestrians at risk by inconsiderate motorists.  this was a pleasant walk through to Sainsbury's untill today and this inconsiderate van driver speeding up there.    For those who are not aware,  besides pedestrians and push chairs,  children also cycle here and the last thing they expect to see is a vehicle hurtling up the footpath with no where to go. 

the police have said that it is a designated public footpath and vehicles do not have right of way to use it as such and will prosecute anyone breaking the law in that respect.   

I went along Secmanton Lane this afternoon and the bollards were back in place.

I imagine that the current bollards are left as removable ones to enable the council to access the lane to do hedge cutting etc., otherwise they could install the concrete bollards which are much harder to remove.

someone from the new houses was moaning about the cars/people around Gatehouse school, maybe it was him, fed up with trying to get past school traffic.