No public inquiry call for bypass

Bypass opponents say the environment is a top priority

Plans for a controversial bypass which has been planned for south Devon for more than 50 years are not to go to a public inquiry.

The government has said it will not call in the controversial plans for the bypass around Kingskerswell village.

Local authorities said it was good news because they could now go ahead with granting planning permission for the road between Newton Abbot and Torquay.

Objections have been made about noise and environmental grounds.

Road named

The congestion in Kingskerswell is notorious as the traffic hits a bottleneck in and out of Torbay.

It is hoped the bypass on the A380 would alleviate such problems.

The bypass plans had been referred to Secretary of State John Prescott. If he had called the plans in, it would have led to a public inquiry.

Devon County Council and Torbay Council said they could now press ahead with approving planning applications for the new road, which many people are referring to as the Torbay Link Road.

Opponent said people in the area the road is planned for "deserve the best environmental protection".

Richard Hamlyn, chairman of the Kingskerswell Alliance, said if the road was built, it would mean an end to the green space currently between Newton Abbot and Torquay.

He said: "The real environmental damage is that it will put infrastructure in place that will allow building to take place in the valley between Newton Abbot and Torquay.

"Newton Abbot and Torquay will end up becoming one town."