Pedestrian crossing will improve safety for Deaf Academy students in Exmouth

A new pedestrian crossing will be constructed at Douglas Avenue in Exmouth to support students at the Deaf Academy.

The East Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) recently approved the £100,000 puffin crossing scheme, which is due to be built during the school summer holidays.

The crossing will be located close to the main entrance of the school to make it safer and easier for students walking to and from the Deaf Academy.

The crossing builds on initial safety improvements introduced near the school by Devon County Council in 2022 with funding from local member, Councillor Christine Channon. This included school warning signs and an advisory school 20mph speed limit on the roads around the Academy. 

The Deaf Academy is a charity which moved from Exeter to Exmouth in 2020 and was formerly known as the Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education. Its new purpose-built site is an education hub for around 70 students aged from nine to 25, a large percentage of whom are residential during term-time. It has satellite sites which are within close walking distances, including Rolle House, which is around five minutes from the main campus, and an adult learning and residential centre called Fearnside House, which is around 12 minutes away.

The scheme will include high friction road surfacing and advanced warning signs on both approaches, and the puffin crossing will feature visual, tactile and audible pedestrian indicators to cross the road.

The Charity has committed to contribute £30,000 toward the costs of the scheme.

The Deaf Academy’s Principal Sylvan Dewing said: “We strive to support our students to gain skills for independent living and they engage in many community projects and trips.

“The Academy is located on a busy road, making this initiative particularly important. Our students need longer to check if it is safe to cross, so a controlled signalling crossing is vital for their safety and for enabling their independence.

“Upon moving to Exmouth our students launched a campaign to improve road safety around our Academy and we are delighted that the Highways and Transport Committee has voted in favour of installing this crossing.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management and Chair of the East Devon HATOC, said: “When the puffin crossing is in place it will help to promote sustainable and healthy travel choices. The Academy encourages its students to develop life skills to support independence and the crossing will help support independent travel to access both the Academy and the town.”

Councillor Christine Channon, Devon County Councillor for Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton Coastal, said: “Working alongside my colleagues Councillor Scott and Councillor Trail, we have campaigned to create a safer environment outside the Deaf Academy and have supported several improvements on the highway to allow the students easier access to the local environment and the town as a whole. It is crucial we support the most vulnerable in our communities and we will continue to do so. The Deaf Academy is an extremely important facility to the students and the wider community.”