Newton Abbot East – West shared use path
Newton Abbot is expanding, with more than 4,000 new homes planned for the next 20 years, including those recently constructed. A significant amount of this housing is to the west of Newton Abbot within the new developments of Houghton Barton, Hele Park and Whitehill.
These housing developments (along with existing housing in the area) are within walking and cycling distance of the town centres and other local amenities including:
- Railway station
- Coombeshead and Newton Abbot College secondary schools
- Newton Abbot University Technical College
- Stover trail walking and cycling route
- Employment sites including Brunel and Decoy industrial estates.
Once completed, this scheme will offer pedestrians and cyclists of all ages a safe, convenient and direct route, particularly for children travelling to local schools.
Enabling more residents to walk and cycle to local destinations will help Newton Abbot become a cleaner and more vibrant community, with less traffic congestion, reduced C02 emissions and improved air quality.
The scheme
Devon County Council is successfully delivering shared path improvements to the west of Newton Abbot on Ashburton Road.
Greenaway Road to Exeter Road (known as phase 1) was completed in 2015 and Oak Park Road to Greenaway Road (known as phase 2A) was completed in 2018.
Mile End Road to Oak Park Road is currently under construction (known as phase 2B). More information on Phase 1, 2A and 2B can be found here.
New shared crossings on Exeter Road and Jetty Marsh Road are proposed (phase 3A), as well as 200m of pathway improvements along Exeter Road, between Churchill’s roundabout and Church Path/Whitehill House drive (phase 3B).
The path improvements in phase 3B will include widening the existing footway to 3.5 metres to provide space for pedestrians and cyclists to use the path safely together and minor highway widening of Exeter Road to 6 metres to provide additional carriageway width and improve safety. A consultation was held in 2018 and the results are presented in a Consultation Summary Report.
Detailed plans
To view or download the plans for phase 2 (A and B), please use the links below:
- Scheme overview plan sheet 1 of 4
- Scheme overview plan sheet 2 of 4
- Scheme overview plan sheet 3 of 4
- Scheme overview plan sheet 4 of 4
Costs and funding
The full scheme is estimated to cost £4m.
The funding will come from several sources including the government’s National Productivity Investment Fund, Local Transport Plan, The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise partnership and developer contributions through Teignbridge District Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy.
Frequently asked questions
- Why can’t cyclists stay on the road?
Confident cyclists are still able to ride on the road. However shared use paths encourage and empower less confident cyclists to travel by bicycle and, compared to cycling on the road, it is usually safer, especially for children.
- Will pedestrians be in danger on the shared use path?
Devon County Council’s Share This Space initiative encourages all highway users to be polite, courteous and take responsibility for their actions on roads and paths. See Share this space for more information.
- Will existing parking on Ashburton Road be removed?
No, however, double yellow lines will be introduced at the Greenaway Road Junction to encourage safer parking, in accordance with the Highway Code.
- What happens when cyclists need to cross driveways on Ashburton Road?
Hatched marking will be used to direct cyclists away from concealed entrances. However, pedestrians and cyclists should watch out for cars entering or exiting driveways and never assume a driver has seen them. Drivers entering or exiting the driveway should drive slowly and take extra care.
- Where will the Phase 3B path go once it reaches Church Path/Whitehall House drive?
The path will continue through the new Whitehill development and out to Whitehill Cross, to join up with the proposed path alongside the A382.
- What is happening with the new road from Whitehill Cross to West Golds Way?
This road remains a priority for us and the scheme is continuing to be progressed. Options for delivering and funding the road are being explored to ensure the best solution is reached.
What happens next?
Phase 2B from Mile End Road to Oak Park Road is currently under construction and is expected to open in 2019.
Construction for phase 3B is likely to start in 2020 and the full scheme is expected to be completed by 2021.
The continuation of pedestrian and cycle facilities to the west of Mile End Road will be incorporated into the new developments.