Devon County Council agrees action plan to tackle pavement overgrowth concerns

Devon County Council has agreed a new plan of action aimed at dealing with growing concerns over vegetation overrunning pavements and public footpaths across Exeter and wider Devon.

The move follows a Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Neil Stevens (Reform, Alphington and Cowick). 

His proposal and the Cabinet’s recommendations were discussed at Full Council before being approved.

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Residents across the county have reported weeds and overgrown vegetation pushing through pavements, with some councillors warning that the issue affects disabled people, older residents and parents with young children.

Under the agreed actions, the council will continue repairing safety defects linked to vegetation, advise communities through a new parish protocol for highways self-delivery, and explore support from the Probation Service for targeted clearance work. 

It will also continue to work with local councils and the Devon Association of Local Councils (DALC) on joint solutions.

Councillor Stevens, who could not attend the meeting in person, said in a written statement that the recommendations had been “watered down”.

“It looks fine on paper but it won't make any real difference to the vegetation overrunning pavements and public spaces across Exeter and Devon,” he said.

“Let's be honest, this won't fix it and if we don't find proper funding…the long-term cost to Devon will be far higher. Residents are already frustrated. They need a real, effective solution, not another token gesture.”

Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council, said many councillors shared concerns about deteriorating footways, but warned that funding remains limited.

“Many of us share your frustrations with the state of our roadways, but there just is not the funding available to do a complete clearance of our pavements,” he said.

“To get to something that residents are happy with, we're going to have to work with our communities so that we do it together.”

He added that community involvement would be essential: “Within the financial situations that we find ourselves in, we're going to have to work better with our community groups...and work with them to do much of this work.”

Several councillors used the meeting to acknowledge the work of volunteers who regularly remove weeds and vegetation in their local areas. 

Councillor Brazil said he was grateful for those efforts:

“There are a lot of community groups and individuals who regularly turn out voluntarily to make a difference in their communities,” he said.

“My thanks goes to every one of them. Devon is a great place to live, and so many of our residents are community-spirited and motivated to give something back. I think that’s what makes Devon a special place to live.”