AN Ivybridge man who lives close to Kennel Lane has hit back at claims that allowing vehicle access will endanger pedestrians.

Humphrey Browning of Woodland Farm says he is ‘bemused’ at the suggestion of ’massive and long lasting implications’ for pedestrian safety made in an article in last week’s Gazette.

In the story, local residents expressed their concerns over a proposal to allow vehicle access to the bottom part of Kennel Lane.

The change to a current traffic regulation order is necessary to give access to Woodland Barn, where permission for two homes was granted last year.

But Mr Browning, whose property adjoins Kennel Lane, described campaigners to keep Kennel Lane car free as ‘scaremongering’.

He said the ‘fuss’ was ‘out of all proportion to the reality of the situation’, and spoke of a need for balance.

He said: ‘The first and most salient point is that there is pedestrian access through the park from the gate on Woodland Road. If people are worried about the safety of their children in Kennel Lane, then they should just walk through the park.

‘Traffic has been using Kennel Lane without incident for many years. Council traffic servicing the park, and lost supermarket and other delivery drivers have been using the lane for years.

‘Currently these drivers have to reverse one way up or down the lane. If access is reestablished to the properties, drivers will be able to turn around on driveways, which would negate the need for anyone to reverse down Kennel Lane and make it safer, surely?

‘Ms Marshall’s suggestion that my unnamed farm track - it doesn’t have a name and isn’t called ’Farm Lane’ - is used for access neglects to point out that the visibility at the end of this track is far more restricted than when turning out from Kennel Lane.

‘Indeed she neglects to point out that it is narrower than Kennel Lane and yet safely shared by the pedestrians and cars that currently use it. Drivers in Devon are used to narrow lanes, it’s a feature of the county and people drive with due care and attention on them.

‘My view is, there is absolutely no reason that cars, pedestrians, horses and farm vehicles can’t share Kennel Lane with no problem at all.’

People have until this Friday, February 12 to submit comments to Devon County Council on the proposed new traffic regulation order.