HOLSWORTHY will be able to make its roads safer after successfully bidding for funding from Vision Zero South West’s ‘Call For Ideas’ initiative.

The town council recently submitted a bid to the initiative on behalf of Holsworthy for vehicle activated speed signs.

Vanessa Saunders, Holsworthy town clerk, said: “We’ve been discussing problems on the A3072 for some time and our local community speed watch team confirmed there had been some issues there.

“A lot of people driving into Holsworthy from that direction don’t actually realise they’re coming into the town. They come in from quite a fast road and they suddenly put the brakes on without realising the speed they are travelling at.

“A lot of those roads are used by elderly people and children going to various schools so it’s very important we get them to slow down

“We’re so pleased to receive this funding — it will be put to good use. We will work with Devon County Council to make sure the signs are up and running as soon as possible.”

The funding will purchase a large DSD speed display sign at the entrance to the village of Chilsworthy from the Holsworthy direction as well as a Vehicle Activated Speed (VAS) radar unit for the A3072 at the entrance to Holsworthy by Deer Park Nursing Home and Trewyn Road.

Other local schemes that have been approved include some 5 x 2.4m fingerposts at Langore Village Green footpath, a mobile VAS which would be utilised along a two mile stretch of road on the western edge of Bodmin Moor at St Breward, and signage for Chapel Street in Grimscott, Bude, to make speeding drivers aware of vulnerable people (elderly and children) — there is no footpaths on the two dangerous ‘Z’ bends — and to highlight the need to comply with the speed limit of 30. They also hope to encourage Cornwall Council to reduce the speed either side of the village from 60 to 40 and would like a flashing 30 speed limit sign as used in rural areas of Wales.

Vision Zero South West’s project, which aims to help community-led road safety schemes, had initially committed a total funding pot of £100,000 for schemes across Devon and Cornwall. However, the Call For Ideas yielded so many positive and proactive projects that the Vision Zero board agreed to increase funding to more than £150,000 to allow more schemes to take place.

In total £153,000 will be spent to fund 34 projects across the two counties, including Vehicle Activated Speed signs (subject to agreement with the local highway authorities), new road signs and markings, high visibility neck bands for cattle and ponies and glow in the dark stickers for school children.

As well as this, a further four projects have been adopted into the Vision Zero South West road safety delivery plan, including providing advanced driver courses for drivers under the age of 25 and engagement events for older drivers, cyclists and young drivers — all of whom are vulnerable road user groups in Devon and Cornwall.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is chairman of the Vision Zero South West board as well as the national APCC lead for road safety.

Commissioner Hernandez said: “Every community I visit raises the subject of road safety, which is why I have made it a priority in my new Police and Crime Plan.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to fund and support so many projects, led mainly by volunteers committed to saving lives. We know we can only tackle road safety and achieve our target of zero serious collisions by 2040 with the help of our local communities.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and attention to detail that residents have displayed during this process and I am certain that the projects we’ve been able to progress will make a real difference to the lives of many, many people.”

Cllr Stuart Hughes, vice chairman of Vision Zero South West and Devon County Council’s cabinet member for highway management, said: “The fact we voted to substantially increase the funding for this initiative demonstrates Vision Zero’s commitment to road safety in Devon and Cornwall.

“I’ve been lucky enough to meet several of the successful applicants and have been blown away by their passion for road safety within their communities. I’m so happy we’ve been able to empower these residents to make the changes they feel are badly needed.”