Devon County Council are trialling new ways of working in the local community where overgrowing vegetation creates issues for highway users.

The trial is a 'find, inform, fix' approach and we are working with one of our tree framework contractors, Teign Trees and Landscapes.

The work we are doing at present aims to:

a. Support residents to ensure their garden plants/hedges/trees are cut back to remove current problems

b. Provide information to residents about appropriate maintenance of boundary vegetation

c. Gather information that will enable us to reshape our processes for future years.

Cabinet Member for Highway Management Cllr Stuart Hughes said: "We conducted a smaller similar trial in part of Exeter during November and December which has gone well, so we are now expanding this to test out in Sidmouth area next, before returning to other parts of Exeter and Exmouth.

"I therefore wanted to let you know what is being planned for Sidmouth so that if you are wondering if Teign Trees are working for us legitimately you are aware of the trial work."

Location – Teign Trees will be checking highway features including carriageway, cycleway, footway, streetlights, traffic signals, street signs and street furniture on the roads listed below, which are affected by overgrown vegetation:

· Peak Hill Road

· Cotmaton Road

· Manor Road

· Glen Road

· Bickwell Valley

· Broadway

· B3176

· Station Road

· All Saints Road

· B3175

· A375

· York Street

· Mill Street

· Salcombe Road

· Winslade Road

· Alexandria Road

· Manstone Lane

· Woolbrook Road

· Greenway Lane

· A3052

· Sid Road

The overarching brief to Teign Trees is the quality of interaction with people, to provide information to owners that will enable them to understand their responsibilities to keep vegetation maintained and have improved knowledge on how to do so, as well as provide support by removing existing hazards whilst on site on this occasion.