Alex Bullions Plans for new pedestrian crossings made possible by the Foulston Park development are set to make journeys along Kings Road safer for everyone who uses it.
The crossings are part of agreed planning conditions for Plymouth Argyle’s multi-million-pound transformation of the former Brickfields site into a centre of sporting excellence and community wellbeing.
In addition to providing safe walking routes to Foulston Park’s exciting new facilities, the crossings will bring wider safety improvements for the local community, including for students and staff at City College Plymouth who use the road every day.
Two humped zebra crossings are being proposed for Kings Road:
Several more are being proposed along this road, which has seen a number of traffic accidents over the last five years. Two were fatal, with three serious collisions and five slight accidents officially recorded.
The Foulston Park project is being delivered through a partnership of Plymouth Argyle, Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Albion RFC and Devonport Community Leisure Limited (DCLL).
The first phase of the scheme – The Hub at Foulston Park – opened in March 2025. Developed and operated by Argyle Community Trust, it is already a popular focal point for the community, delivering a range of health and wellbeing opportunities.
Work is continuing on the wider Foulston Park project which will create a new permanent home for Plymouth Argyle’s Academy and Plymouth Argyle Women together with and extensive community and sport facilities.
Part of this work is ensuring walking routes to and from Foulston Park are as safe and accessible as possible, with planning conditions requiring a series of highways improvements to be completed before the site becomes fully operational. Other considerations include ensuring safe access for Plymouth Albion supporters using the relocated matchday overflow car park, which is now at Stonehouse Creek.
As part of the formal traffic processes, the Council is asking people to comment on the crossing proposals and following a further road safety assessment, additional road humps spaced along Kings Road to ensure speeds stay low.
Consultation is also taking place on the proposed removal of four trees to allow the crossings to be installed safely and to ensure adequate visibility for road users. These would be replaced with 19 new trees.
Christian Kent, Plymouth Argyle Head of Venue, Hospitality and Events, said: “We are delighted to be progressing this vital improvement to local walking routes as part of the Foulston Park regeneration, ensuring that people using the new facilities being developed here can do so safely and confidently.
“While this work is an essential part of the Foulston Park development, we are also pleased to see this example of the project delivering wider benefits locally, by making Kings Road safer for the whole community.”
Councillor Sue Dann, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Sport and Leisure said: “This is a road that has seen some tragic accidents and if there is a way of making people safer – whether that’s on foot or by car or on a motorbike, we need to make it happen.”
Jackie Grubb, Chief Executive of City College Plymouth, said: “The safety and wellbeing of our students and staff is always a priority, and we welcome the introduction of these new crossings along Kings Road.
“With so many of our College community travelling on foot between our campus and nearby facilities, these improvements will make a real difference in helping everyone feel safer and more confident when moving around the area.”
Additional information provided by Plymouth City Council on the formal highways process and public consultation running between November 24 and December 24, 2025.
This proposal is designed to make safer journeys for everyone to and from Foulston Park and its fantastic new facilities.
Two humped zebra crossings are being proposed for King’s Road:
•Outside the City College Plymouth main entrance
•20 metres from Devonport Hill/Stonehouse Bridge roundabout.
A series of speed humps is also being proposed along this road, which has seen several traffic accidents over the last five years, including two fatal and three serious collisions.
The crossings are part of the agreed planning conditions for Foulston Park – a multi-million-pound investment into sporting excellence and community wellbeing, delivered through a partnership of Plymouth Argyle, Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Albion RFC and Devonport Community Leisure Limited (DCLL).
The focus is now on making sure routes to and from the park are as safe as they can be. As part of the planning conditions, a number of highways improvements have to be carried out before the site can become operational.
Installing new crossings will unfortunately involve removing four trees – three common limes near the entrance of City College Plymouth and a London Plane on the corner of King’s Road and Stonehouse Bridge.
Our Traffic Management Team worked with our Natural Environment Team to finalise the design process.
To help consider all options to design a safer street, an independent arboriculturist carried out surveys of all the trees along King’s Road. This information was used to balance locating the new crossings in a suitable place while minimising environmental impact.
As part of the statutory consultation process, the Council is asking people to comment on the crossing proposals and following a further road safety assessment, additional road humps spaced along Kings Road to ensure speeds stay low.
Consultation is also taking place on the proposed removal of four trees to allow the crossings to be installed safely and to ensure adequate visibility for road users. These would be replaced with 19 new trees.
We are aware of how strongly people feel about protecting trees but need to balance this with the need to address locations with high accident records, the safety of all our residents as well as our legal obligations as a local authority.
We are keen to be transparent and give as much information as possible about the trees, their health and mitigation measures intended to offset their loss.
Mitigation
Of the trees to be removed, the three limes were a C category – of low quality with a life expectancy of less than 10 years: one has vehicle damage at its base. The London Plane was a category B – moderate quality with a life expectancy of at least 20 years – but of the four London Planes at this location, it was the poorest specimen.
A community orchard comprising 14 apple trees is being proposed to be planted on the public space on the Foulston Park side of King’s Road.
Within the park site a further five trees will be planted – a London Plane, a Common Lime, a hornbeam, a hawthorn and an oak. They will be standard size when planted – 10 to 12 cm girth.
