With all the Councils of Kingskerswell, Newton Abbot, Torquay and Teignbridge, the County Council based in Exeter and all three Members of Parliament for the three areas, now in favour, what is the next step?

1 - The Torbay Unitary Authority has to approve the up to date changes at the planning stage and submit these to the County Council for approval.

2 - Next comes the official application to Government and the likelihood of a Public Inquiry plus compulsory purchase orders and final planning approval.

2 - Meanwhile the arguments concerning the environmental impact will continue, and proof will have to be provided that there are no other alternatives available – This in spite of hundreds of thousands having already been spent on this exercise on at least two occasions.

3 - With a statutory obligation to provide a traffic a survey not more than five years old it is likely that once again a traffic analysis will have to be carried out on the current number of vehicles using the road. This will probably take a further year to authorise and carry out.

4 - Timescale – the latest official start date when all of these obstacles have been overcome is between 2009-2011. Realistically, bearing in mind nothing is yet set in stone as far as Government are concerned, and that after all of the administrative and public concerns have been overcome, the finance to build the road has to be found, our best guess is that this road could not under normal circumstances be started before 2012. Only a catastrophe, a major change of Government policy or a war could hasten the process – when the roads could probably be built in a year..  

Posted 26th March 2004