New mobile speed sign for Woodbury

Woodbury, Clyst St George and Lympstone are the beneficiaries of a new mobile speed sign, costing £3,450.

The sign will remind motorists of the speed limits through their villages and will record people’s speeds, which will give the parishes access to valuable statistics when dealing with concerns from residents and talking to the police. 

The speed sign is a joint project initiated by Woodbury, Lympstone and Clyst St George Parish Councils, funded by East Devon District Council and Devon County Council and spearheaded by Councillor Tim Pattison from Woodbury Parish Council.

Speeding vehicles have been high on the agenda of all the communities involved, so the aim of the sign is to raise driver awareness of the speed limits. Research shows that speed signs do make people slow down and the sign will be moved around, which will also increase its effectiveness.

The Parishes Together Fund has provided £1,950 of the funding needed for the project. Designed to provide financial solutions to local issues, the Parishes Together Fund is a joint East Devon District Council and Devon County Council initiative in which the sum of £1.10 per elector - £1 from Devon County Council and 10p from East Devon - in each parish is put into a central pot, which parish and town councils can then apply to for funding towards community projects. Applications have to come from town and parish councils, but voluntary and community groups, schools and other organisations can put their ideas forward to their town or parish council.

The remaining £1,500 of the funding came from Devon County Council’s Locality Fund via Councillor Bernard Hughes, local member for Exmouth, Halsdon and Woodbury. County Councillors have £10,000 available to them to support community groups and local initiatives that are important to communities, through the Council’s Locality Fund.

East Devon District Councillor Tom Wright, Chairman of the Parishes Together Fund, said: “We were very pleased to be able to give some funding to this worthy project. Speeding vehicles is an issue that often comes up when I talk to residents. This project has been two years in the making, as it has been quite a lengthy process for Tim to get all the necessary permissions to put the sign out on the roads. I would like to say a big well done to him for his enthusiasm and perseverance. He has worked so hard to make this project happen.” 

Councillor Bernard Hughes OBE said: “Speed is one of the underlying factors in road traffic accidents that cause severe injury, and Devon County Council welcomes any initiative that aims to reduce vehicle speeds in our communities.  I’m delighted that we are able to support this scheme, which will benefit a number of communities.  My thanks go to Councillor Tim Pattison of Woodbury Parish Council for his personal interest in working through this scheme and I hope that it will be successful in saving life and injury.”

Tim Pattison, Woodbury Parish Council said: “It has been a lengthy and time consuming process to bring this project to fruition because of the safety and legal requirements involved. However, seeing vehicles slow down where accidents have occurred, in tandem with providing a road safety related project high on the agenda of so many of our parishioners, makes all the effort made by everyone worthwhile. I would like to thank Devon County Council and East Devon District Council for providing the funding for this project, as well as Amanda Pitchford in the highways team at Devon County for making this scheme possible. I hope other town and parish councils may feel encouraged to undertake similar worthwhile projects via the Parishes Together Fund scheme.”