SAFETY concerns were voiced again at the latest meeting about the notorious A35 Hunter’s Lodge junction.

About a dozen Axminster Town councillors met with Honiton and Tiverton MP Neil Parish and road safety campaigner Joy Raymond to discuss proposed safety measures at the junction, which has been the scene of three fatal accidents.

Solutions discussed at yesterday’s meeting ranged from widening the road and installing a mini-roundabout to extending a 40mph speed limit and creating rumble strips on the road surface.

Mr Parish stressed that road safety in the area remained a priority and the Highways Agency was thinking carefully about all the options.

“It’s partly us that slowed things up because we wanted a decent solution. But this has got to be sorted whoever is in power, because this junction is just awful.

“Mr Dyer assured me that the Agency’s decision to refuse traffic lights in December is not about money, it’s that he didn’t think they would work,” he said. “The problem is actually getting out and crossing the road – when motorists have to wait a long time they get frustrated and they then push out.”

Axminster’s mayor JeremyWalden raised the idea of a bus lay-by, and said he had also arranges for PCSOs to do speed checks.

“Devon County Council seem to think there is no room for a bus lay-by, but I question that,” he said and cited a problematic ‘false verge’ in front of the true land boundary by the junction. “Some judicious engineering could cut out a bus lay-by, which would solve that problem,” he said.

Although the date for the next update meeting between the council, Mr Parish and the Highways Agency has not been set, the group emphasised they want a meeting as soon as possible after the election.

Mr Parish said: “Now we have had numerous other really bad accidents and we will go back to Mr Dyson at the Highways Agency for an update.

He talked about using rumble strips and extending a 40mph speed limit, with the possibility of reducing this further to 30mph in the futureonce signs were installed. “If we can get the speed down we won’t necessarily stop the accidents but we will be able to stop the fatalities,” he said.

Axminster town councillor Brian Watson said he saw many signs in Wales warning motorists the area was an accident blackspot and citing the number of fatalities at specific junction.

Another town councillor added: “Call me old fashioned, but ‘accident blackspot’ on a sign makes you look.”