Exeter road closure consultation welcomed

Dryden Road consultation in 2026

A decision to ask the people of Exeter for their opinions before scrapping a controversial road closure has been welcomed by Green councillors.

Last week the city’s highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) voted to consult on the closure of Dryden Road.

It has been shut since the Covid outbreak five years ago, when it was blocked off to create a safe cycling route in and out of the city centre. However, objectors say the closure has moved traffic and pollution onto other neighbouring streets including Bovemoors Lane.

They say it is time to scrap the closure and re-open the road, which is wide enough to accommodate two-way traffic and a dedicated cycle lane.

Independent councillor Angela Nash (Wonford and St Loyes) urged fellow HATOC members to scrap the Dryden Road closure straight away.

She said nearby roads were not suitable for the levels of traffic they were now carrying, and people did not feel safe walking in darkness in traffic-free Dryden Road.

But members voted for a public consultation exercise which will now take place in early 2026.

The Greens say the aim should be to tackle traffic issues while maintaining safe cycling and walking routes. The consultation will also consider wider issues, replacing the original proposal put to the committee which would only have looked at changes to Dryden Road. 

City councillor Lynn Wetenhall (Green, Newtown and St Leonards) said: “Despite the best efforts of Reform and ex-Reform councillors to block this consultation, we are very pleased that a majority on the committee shared our view that any new options must acknowledge impacts on all the connecting roads, and not just look at one road. 

“Officers made clear that any solutions must continue to provide safe walking and cycling along Dryden Road, and this will be reassuring for the many people who wrote to us saying how much they valued the quietness and safety of this cycling and walking route.”

Cllr Jack Eade (Green, Heavitree and Whipton Barton) added: “Residents now know that the existing traffic filter on Dryden Road will stay in place while the consultation process is planned and run. That will then lead to better-informed decisions on how to tackle the issues that local people and organisations have raised.

“There is now an opportunity to improve safety in the area with a wider review of residents’ needs, not just on Dryden Road but also the surrounding roads.”