Series of measures agreed to minimise impact of utility work on A383 in Newton Abbot

Essential utility work which was due to start on the A383 in Newton Abbot next week has now been moved and re-scheduled.

Following on-going talks Devon County Council had with Teignbridge District Council and developer Bloor Homes it has been agreed that the initial work to install utility services to the Houghton Barton housing development will instead be routed via Chercombe Valley Road, starting on Monday (3 November).

Temporary traffic lights will be needed on Chercombe Valley Road for nine weeks while work is carried out, leaving the A383 Ashburton Road clear in the run-up to Christmas.

Bloor Homes will then carry out work on the A383 from February for around 30 weeks following the implementation of a series of mitigation measures. That’s a considerable reduction from the original 50 weeks that had been planned.

These mitigation measures have been agreed to minimise the impact of the work. The contractor working for Bloor Homes will ensure:

• They will work extended hours and have additional staff on site to reduce the number of days on the highway;
• Where possible they will work on verges and pavements rather than the road;
• Temporary traffic lights will be manually controlled and work will be managed to reduce the need for three-way traffic lights which adds to delays and impacts side roads;
• All utility services are included to prevent the need to return at a later date for further installations.

Planning permission has been granted for 1,100 homes at Houghton Barton, which is a strategic development site in Teignbridge District Council’s Local Plan. Utility connections to the homes have to be installed along Ashburton Road, and pausing the development would jeopardise the Council’s statutory housing delivery targets.

The Council issue around 50,000 permits a year to give permission for work on the highway. Not every application is approved but they have to balance work that needs to happen while minimising the impact on people’s everyday lives.