Teignmouth Town Councillors are yet again considering opening up the Upper Den Carriageway to parking through the summer months, despite a similar proposal being turned down two years ago.

Teignmouth Town Councillor Robert Phipps set up a working group in April ‘to investigate parking options for the Upper Den Carriageway while it is closed for the summer season’ (May-September).

Currently the Upper Den Carriageway, which splits the main promenade and the Den, is closed to traffic between May and September.

However, the working group argues that the loss of the 100 parking spaces on the Upper Den Carriageway during the main tourist season has a negative impact on the town’s economy.

The working group is set to propose measures including the addition of speed humps, the implementation of a 10mph speed limit and a ban on camper vans to mitigate safety concerns previously raised by Devon County Council’s Highways officers. The working group will report back to a full Town Council meeting on June 11.

If the working group’s proposals are accepted by the full Teignmouth Town Council, the request to open up the Upper Den Carriageway throughout the year will be sent to the next Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) on July 18. And if they are passed at that meeting, the Upper Den Carriageway could remain open throughout the year from 2025.

At last week’s Teignmouth Town Council annual parish meeting, former mayor Paul Burgess expressed concern that the short timing between the working group being formed and reporting to a full Teignmouth Town Council and Devon HATOC would means a decision to open up the  Upper Den Carriageway might be rushed through without public consultation.

Another resident at the Parish meeting suggested that the working group is biased towards traders, who want to open up the road to increase parking and footfall to their establishments. He asked if the membership of the working group could be revisited. Members of the Teignmouth Town Council Upper Den Working Group are: Councillors Robert Phipps, Mike Jackman, Lillian Chasteau and Dan Comer.

Opponents to the plans to open up the road cite safety concerns as the road is frequently used by children and families, particularly between the play area and the skate park.

Two years ago, Teignmouth Town Council’s request for the Upper Den Carriageway to be open all-year round was denied by Devon County Council’s HATOC due to safety and environmental concerns.

At that time, Devon County Council officers noted that although opening up the road would increase parking revenue, the safety and environmental concerns outweighed the cost benefits.

They noted that ‘Teignmouth is a popular family resort with a constant movement of unaccompanied children at this location as parents and families have become used to the road being closed offering a traffic-free, safe environment and increased freedom for children and families.’ They were also concerned about the ‘number of uncontrolled crossing points on the road’, which is the main route between the town and the beach.