A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by Exeter Green Party has revealed that Exeter City Council acknowledge there are serious issues to address in relation to crossings around the Paris St roundabout, something they had previously denied.
Green Councillors Andy Ketchin and Carol Bennett raised the issue of dangerous crossings around the Paris St roundabout a year ago, in response to numerous residents saying that they felt unsafe using the crossings. At the time, the City Council claimed there were no serious issues to address and that it was a matter for the County Council anyway, but the FOI request shows they have since changed their view.
Green candidate for Newtown & St Leonard’s, Lynn Wetenhall, who put in the FOI request said:
“It is great to see that the Council is now acknowledging that the roundabout crossings are a serious problem for pedestrians and cyclists, and that the City Council has a positive role to play in securing changes.”
A report to a committee of planning councillors, which formed part of the information provided under the FOI request [2], says that the roundabout, “presents a barrier to pedestrian/cycle movement towards the city centre, as it is dominated by vehicles. The roundabout was designed to support the movement of vehicles over pedestrians and cyclists, including wide junctions and metal railings. These are remnants of 1970s highways design thinking and there is an opportunity to improve this to support Net Zero 2030.”
Councillor Andy Ketchin said:
“There are two very big developments planned within metres of the Paris St roundabout. Developers will be paying money to the Council which could be used to make Paris St roundabout safer for the public. I am calling on Devon and Exeter Councils to form a joint Working Group to seize this once in a generation opportunity to improve this roundabout so pedestrians and cyclists can access local facilities and the town centre safely and easily.”