TRAFFIC problems in Kingsteignton, which at one stage saw residents highlight the situation with a protest demonstration and campaigns, has reached a dead-end.

On Tuesday, Teignbridge Partnership Committee approved a £56,000 scheme to introduce cul-de-sacs in Sandpath Road, and to have access only in Golvers Hill Road at a cost of £3,000.

Part of the Kingsteignton Community Travel Plan, the making and sealing of the Traffic Regulation Orders were also agreed.

A controversial one-way system in Fore Street was made permanent in July, but Sandpath Road and Golvers Hill Road residents had maintained it had pushed problems in their direction.

Now Sandpath Road is to be split in half with cul-de-sacs at Cottey Meadow and, explained local services officer Graham Heath, if black tarmac is used in the surface treatment instead of buff bauxite, the scheme will cost £9,000 less.

The road would be closed by bollards and tree planting, extra seats would be put in, timber bollards and granite feature paving, along with turning areas.

Following consultations on the plans there were six letters of objection, eight in support and four comments on the Sandpath scheme, and one objection and two in support of Golvers Hill Road.

Cllr Mike Walters warned that the committee could end up with egg on its face because there was no certainty of getting land acquisition for one of the turning spaces.

The chairman, Cllr Mike Haines, said it was a chicken and egg situation.

'If we do not go ahead with this it will still be hanging about. If we cannot get the land, it will come back to this committee.

'As far as I am concerned this is the best solution to these problems we could get when we reaffirmed the one-way system in Fore Street,' he said.

The vice-chairman, Cllr John Smith said it had been a fairly long process in which probably hundreds of people had been consulted in the Kingsteignton area.

'I think it is a very good solution. I think Kingsteignton is desperate for a travel plan that takes non-essential, non-village traffic out of the middle.

'This was an initiative that was started eight years ago at the behest of the parish council to try and improve living conditions in Kingsteignton,' he said.

Parish councillor Liz Rollason said the introduction of access only in Golvers Hill Road would be the most effective option.

As regards Sandpath Road she said the parish council had voted 11-1 in favour of the scheme.

'This is in our conservation area and we feel very strongly that it needs some special care. We would like to have some input into the final design, it being so important to our village,' she added.

Cllr Norman Cooper believed that because of the cul-de-sacs the road should become Sandpath Road East and West, so that emergency vehicles knew which entrance to take.

The suggestion won support from Mpc Nigel Bishop on behalf of the police, and the parish council is to be asked for its views.