CAMPAIGNERS fighting to have cars returned to a bikes-only Exeter street have welcomed news that the traffic is coming back.

Members of the Exeter highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC) have voted to begin the process of revoking the car ban which was first brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

The aim then was to create a safe and traffic free route in and out of the city centre by blocking Dryden Road to cars, and cycling campaigners say it has been a huge success.

However, the closure prompted a high-profile campaign by objectors who said it had simply moved traffic and pollution elsewhere, citing Bovemoors Lane as a hotspot. They also said it had created “rat-runs” through the nearby hospital grounds.

After more than five hours of what the HATOC chair called “procedural wrangling”, members voted to rescind the ban and allow traffic back in, albeit with a 20mph speed limit. Devon County Council will also look at ways of securing safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Ian Frankum, who led the protests, said after the meeting: “As we approach having our fifth Prime Minister since the unjust closure of Dryden Road, there may finally be some light at the end of the tunnel.”

He said that while there was still much work to do, the decision was “a victory for local residents, hospital staff, patients and visitors”.

He also said the victory belonged to the 2,135 people who had voted for Dryden Road to be re-opened during the recent consultation. That amounted to more than 70 per cent of the responses.

“Time and again, residents have had to challenge costly and unpopular decisions made by previous HATOC committees,” said Mr Frankum.

“This meeting offered a welcome contrast.”