Here you can find a detailed history of the Kingskerswell Bypass campaign, from 1951 through to present day.

Summary

From the outset of the new campaign the FSB and it's partners were aware that the Kingskerswell Parish Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torbay Council, Devon County Council and all the emergency services were totally supportive. Each had differing problems but with new housing and new jobs being required by all Local Authorities, and with Torbay rightly committed to remaining a leading tourist destination of the U.K, this would naturally increase vehicle usage.

With all authorities under a duty to undertake a number of statutory and non statutory traffic surveys, petitions, exhibitions and road changes over the years, usually by independent consultants, this has cost local ratepayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. Every one of these concluded that ONLY a new road or bypass could resolve the problem of an ever increasing use of private and commercial vehicles accessing the area.

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1999

The 'no more roads' policy statement was eventually reversed with the announcement from Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott that some new roads and bypasses were back on the agenda. Sadly this did not include the A380 Kingskerswell Bypass.

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1997

Although a number of Conservative Ministers including the Rt Hon. David Curry M.P, Secretary of State for the Environment had on many occasions given their support for the construction of a Kingskwerswell Bypass after the election, but then the Labour Government were returned with a large majority and were able to immediately announce a national policy on roads - all projects were cancelled. With the trunking of the A380 having been abandoned, priority status lost, the incoming Labour Governments now also put PFI on hold, and confirmed they had no future intentions to build ANY new roads anywhere in the UK in the forseeable future.

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1996

Pre-general election year. Having campaigned hard in partnership with the Herald Express, and held a number of public meetings at Kingskerswell and in Torbay , and having attending no less than three ministerial meetings in London . The Conservatives just prior to Christmas abandons all future road-building plans.

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1995/96

A number of politicians came to Devon and met local councils, residents and business groups who were by now campaigning hard for a firm commitment to the new road. With tolled roads rejected by Devon County Council it believed the only way forward was by seeking funding through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The PFI allows the construction Company to build the road out of its own resources or PFI, by agreeing a repayment structure with Government, for an annual repayment based on the number of vehicles that use the road. Current figures suggested that with 35,000 plus vehicle journeys per day, the Kingskerswell scheme was a virtual 'gold plated' investment for who-ever undertook the design & build.

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1995

Government announced it would not be able to keep its commitment to the trunk road programme, and in a report 'Managing the Trunk Road Programme' the A380 was dropped from the priority list and transferred to the 'Longer Term Programme' for trunking of roads.

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1994/95

The FSB campaign for a Kingskerswell Bypass was commenced and an initial public meeting with Kingskerswell Parish residents was held at the Parish Hall, followed by an open meeting at the Imperial Hotel, Torquay where substantial numbers of residents and business proprietors attended. A survey of local people was now mounted by The Herald Express and this has continued to this day.

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1994

Another national report 'Trunk Roads in England 1994 Review' was issued by the Department of Transport, which still included a proposed Kingskerswell Bypass as a Priority 1 scheme in the national list.

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1993

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) a National non-party political lobbying group representing (then) nearly 100,000 thousand members, supported the FSB Devon Regional Committee request for finance in order that a major campaign could be mounted.

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1990

A traffic survey on 'Best Value' and an audit had to be carried out before the proposed scheme outlined could go forward to Draft Order stage.

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1989

A Government White Paper entitled 'Roads for Posterity' now included the trunking of the A380 between Exeter and Torquay together with the proposed £26m scheme to dual a new two lane carriageway.

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1987

A public exhibition was held following which an updated submission for Grant Aid was made together with a revised 'submission for trunking' of the A380 from Exeter through to Torquay.

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1981/82

Devon County Council submitted their preferred route to the Department of Transport with an application for 100% Grant Aid funding.

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1976

At the end of another public consultation Devon County Council announced its 'preferred route'.

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1974

A revised three lane duelled carriageway plan was suggested by the out-going Devon County Council and by 1976 having completed Stage one of Torbay Ring Road, as the highway agency it was making a submission to the Department of Transport for 'trunking' of the A380 road in its entirety.

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1951/52

It was in 1951/52 that a duelled carriageway was first included in the Devon County Development Plan. By 1959 a Public Inquiry had determined the actual line of the proposed road, but then in spite of improvements to the existing road Devon County Council during 1972 sought to change the proposed line suggesting an alternative route for the new road.

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