Better Transport

• Ken Pegden send them a message
• Tel: 07534 264943
• Kingskerswell Alliance website

Since its inception in 2001, the Kingskerswell Alliance has campaigned for alternative solutions to the proposed South Devon Link Road. The scheme is promoted jointly by Devon County Council and Torbay Council and is currently estimated to cost £130 million for a 5km stretch of road.  The aim is to tackle congestion on the A380 between Newton Abbot and Torquay.

The scheme would pass through beautiful and largely unspoilt countryside. There would be severe ecological consequences for species like threatened cirl buntings and greater and lesser horseshoe bats. The view over the Aller Valley would be dramatically different with a dual carriageway running through it.

The Kingskerswell Alliance believes that there are a whole variety of alternative solutions which could be used to relieve congestion on existing roads in the area.

We believe that initiatives like Sustainable Travel Towns and Smarter Travel Choices which are the result of excellent work published by the Department for Transport  could play an important part in an alternative approach. When combined with other far less drastic changes to existing junctions, investment in public transport and more transport choices to promote changes in behaviour we think that some of the root causes of the congestion problems could be tackled. These measures we propose would be smaller projects and would allow incremental improvements to be made.

The Kingskerswell Alliance is a group of local people (with around 500 supporters in and round the village) who are passionate about saving their village from the devastation the proposed road would bring. In 2007 we collected over 2,000 signatures on a petition, which was read out in Parliament, calling for sustainable alternatives. We have two Parish Councillors elected.

A bypass at Kingskerswell has been talked about for many years and of course the cost just keeps rising.

Latest News :

November 2008: The group has published a report outlining the alternatives to the bypas.

2008: The scheme has planning permission and a Major Scheme Funding Bid which was submitted at the end of 2007 is currently being considered by the Department for Transport. The Kingskerswell Alliance has put forward a package of alternatives and is working hard to persuade decision makers to think again.