PEOPLE who are fed up with their roads being used as a rat run by motorists trying to avoid Devizes town centre have voted at a public meeting for the road to be closed to cars.

Now a major consultation of all people living in affected roads is to take place before a final decision is made on whether Rotherstone should become closed to all traffic and only used by pedestrians and cyclists.

At a meeting at Devizes Town Hall Wiltshire councillor Philip Whitehead, who is chairman of the community area traffic group, was told by people living in Rotherstone and surrounding roads of Avon Terrace, Colston Road and Sheppard Close that they felt down by a lack of action in the past.

Earlier this year Cllr Whitehead pushed forward a scheme to put large planters in Rotherstone but these were removed by the town council after people complained they were used as litter bins and were dangerous.

At the time there was disagreement between the town council and Wiltshire Council on consultation to do with the project as a number of people living in the road claimed they had not been asked about the planters.

At the public meeting four options to stop Rotherstone being used as a rat run were considered. These included the closure of the road to traffic, closing just part of the road in one direction from west to east, having one way traffic on a different smaller stretch of the road and introducing traffic calming measures.

Option one of closing the road completely and for barriers to be put up at either end of Rotherstone was chosen.

Devizes town clerk Simon Fisher said: "After some considerable debate it was agreed that in general the meeting favoured option one as it would deal not only with the impact of rat running but also significantly reduce the risk to pedestrians.

"The consultation will only be based on option one to seek support for or against it."

Mary Carter who helped organise the meeting said before it was held: "The council has spent a lot of money to date consulting on ideas that might be tried, and the public ore fed up being fobbed off with platitudes and lack of money, a accident or fatality is waiting to happen, there are no warning signs of pedestrians in road, no slow signs, the list is endless."

During the consultation people living in the roads affected will be asked if they support the proposal, do not support it or if they conditionally support it but want some changes such as a different position for the barrier.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of a residents parking scheme for Avon Terrace and Colston Road. Devizes Town Council is now to look into the proposal.