Council backs plans to widen 'gateway to Newton Abbot'

However, six homes will lose part of their back gardens as part of the plans

‘Crucial and essential’ plans to widen ‘the gateway’ to Newton Abbot have been backed by Devon County Council’s cabinet – but will see six homes lose part of their gardens.

On Friday, the cabinet agreed to widen a section of the A382 Exeter Road, and will also see the existing footway between Whitehill Close and Churchills Roundabout widened to create a shared pedestrian and cycle path.

 A new pedestrian refuge island to the north of Whitehill Close will also be built, and the proposals follow a public consultation last autumn in which 62 per cent of respondents were positive about the plans.

 But private land belonging to six land owners will be required for the scheme, and the council admits that the amount of land required will have an impact on the rear gardens and bring the road closer to the properties.

 Dave Black, Head of Planning, Transportation and Environment, told the cabinet that they will engage with the landowners and will attempt to acquire the land through negotiation, but that compulsory purchase orders may be required.

The schemes for Exeter Road will see the road widened to six metres and the footway to 3.5m to allow room for the shared footway and cycleway, and will also bring the road up to the standard needed for new homes and economic growth outlined in the adopted Local Plan, with Mr Black saying that 6,000 new homes are allocated for the town, with around half on the A382 corridor.

 The Exeter Road improvements will cost an estimated £2.4million and subject to funding, could be complete by 2022.