SPEEDY drivers came in for criticism at the December meeting of Wellington Town Council when councillors were asked for their views on county council proposals to reduce some 50mph stretches of road in the area to 40mph.

Cllr Janet Reed said: “People are in too much of a hurry these days. There are at least 40 hidden entrances on the road from the Chelston roundabout to Heatherton Grange crossroads.”

It was a dangerous piece of road, said Cllr Charles Biscoe who is a keen cyclist. “I wish people would remember that roads are not just for people with cars. Speed limits make roads safer.”

He also wanted to see more 20mph speed limits introduced and felt that Waterloo Road, Springfield Road, Riverside and Station Road should be looked at carefully. Speeds in those areas were generally too high.

Cllr Bill Sparrow said it was time people grew up and took control of their speed. It was good to have speed limits.

Cllr Marcus Barr suggested that mini roundabouts would slow down traffic and make the road safer. It was pointed out that there were accident blackspots on this stretch of road at Heatherton Park crossroads, the Blackbird Inn, Willowbrook Garden Centre and Blackdown Garden Centre. Fatal accidents had occurred over the years.

The county council is considering reducing the current 50mph limit to 40mph on the A38 road from Cades Farm to almost Three Bridges Farm as well as a short stretch of road to Bradford-on-Tone and a small sections of the relief road and motorway link road from the Chelston roundabout.

The county reported that there had been three killed/serious injury accidents and 11 slightly injured collisions on this short stretch of road in the last five years.

Recent monitoring showed that average speeds between Heatherton Grange and the Blackbird Inn were 38.6mph for south-west bound traffic and 40.5mph for north-east bound traffic.