A legal battle has begun over controversial plans for traffic in Newton Abbot town centre.
Work is due to get under way later this month on the scheme in Queen Street which includes widening footways and improving pedestrian crossings, lowering the speed limit through the town, planting trees and installing seats.
Devon County Council and Teignbridge Council say the proposals will cut traffic and pollution to transform the town centre and boost businesses in the long term.
But measures including limiting access to the section of Queen Street beyond Albany Street to buses, pedestrians, cycles and loading have infuriated local businesses.
Newton Abbot Town Council has called for the plans to be abandoned.
Now the Queen Street Traders and Residents Association (QSTAR) has called on the services of the same solicitors who successfully fought the county council over a traffic scheme in Totnes.
Midlands-based Lodders forced a U-turn over reversing traffic flows in Fore Street from the council, which had to pay more than £200,000 in legal fees as a result.
In a statement released today, QSTAR said it had hoped that letters from the town council and the Federation of Small Business calling for the Queen Street changes to be halted for more talks with traders and residents would succeed.
But they say their pleas were ignored, leaving them with no option but to instruct solicitors.
“There has been no engagement from either authority regarding the very important concerns raised,” said a spokesman.
Lodders, he said, had told QSTAR that there are four areas which leave the scheme open to challenge. The solicitors will be writing to the county council to clarify the position.
“We hope this will focus the minds of both councils and persuade them of a need to pause the works and engage with QSTAR in a constructive manner,” said the spokesman.
A crowdfunding campaign will now be launched to help fund the legal challenge.
“We are asking the councils to pause the scheme and engage in discussions with QSTAR,” said the spokesman. “A scheme altered to satisfy traders and residents could avoid unnecessary disruption and expense to everyone involved.”
The councils say work will start soon at the western end of Queen Street near Courtenay Street, and will progress eastward towards The Avenue.
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