Dawlish Discussion

I know I've mentioned it on this website before, but as I see that a relief for Dawlish has also been referred to on The Eyes of Dawlish website as something that will definitely happen in the future I'm going to raise the issue here again.

Let's just say that all these proposed new homes do get built. Then it follows does it not that all those living in those homes will have cars. At least one to each home I would guess, but quite likely more than that.

How will the A379 cope with all these extra cars?

I see no mention in the draft local plan of any relief road.

oops! left out the word 'road' after the word 'relief' in the first sentence.

There was brief menion of a bypass around Starcross at last nights meeting in Cockwood

* mention*

Who mentioned it? A member of the audience or someone from TDC? If from the audience how did representatives from TDC react? If from TDC then..........very interesting.

Let's think about such a road for a moment. What would its route be? How much would it cost and how would the building of it be funded?

The TDC mentioned it. I think you can guess the reaction.

Surely if that was possible it would be good wouldnt it ----------?

Putting the route of the road to one side for the moment. Can I flag up that such a road would need to be funded for some where (and we are talking millions here). So........where would such money come from? I can only think it would come from the Community Infrastructure Levy and New Homes Bonus income generated by the building of the new houses. Which begs the question of just how much money would then be left over to spend on those other things Dawlish needs/wants.

Lynne there is always money most recently millions where found to go back to weekly bin collections. Divert that amount it would be more than enough to build a relief road of course as we have previously discussed it needs to be on higher ground but knowing our planers it wont happen until we are treading water. I was talking to one of our very senior citizens earlier today about this very subject its very simple he said just widen Long Lane wouldn't flood up there. He could be on the right track excuse the pun

Leatash Ive just googled that and followed it all the way to the dual carriageway at Kennford, excellent suggestion, it ends as old dawlish road. I would use that route if it was made a major road save Starcross bottleneck

Well maybe its time we consulted some of the old timers it could be they have knowledge of other old routes that could be reinstated. I am far from a expert in planning but if the road is already there maybe it would ease the planing procedures

@Lynne

The link you posted to new TDC document/table showiing proposed expenditure states that new roads will be "integral to development" and have no funds attached to them. So the costs can't be coming from CIL because that is distributed over all the other infrastructure projects in the table.

So where would the money for such a road come from then?

@leatash, going slightly off topic...but are we going back to weekly bin collections?

Lynne central government have in the last few days found 250 million to give to local authorities to help them go back to weekly bin collections so there is money sloshing around its just being wasted to gain a few votes. A new road could have lots of positive spin offs less emissions less fuel used shorter journey times and i would imagine that 250 million may just be enough to build a new link road. There always is money to be found and eventualy as sea levels rise it will be found if not we will have to rethink the way we live and go about our daily lives. One example when i was a kid many many moons ago i walked 6 miles to school and 6 miles back thats how it was globall warming may force us all to take a few steps back and live simpler lives. So the problems we face now are nothing to what may face us in the future we should just in case the experts are right be looking at the bigger picture and working together to solve our future problems.

Lynne i have just watched with interest a tory minister making a announcement that a further 2 billion will be added to the overseas fund it just proves there is money but not for us need a say more

Add that to the Two Billion spent on the War on Libya

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/25/libya-conflict-uk-defence-bill

it is clear that the govt isn't really short of money, just short of money to spend in the UK.

I can never understand the demand for weekly bin collections, we have weekly collections, one week the black bin next week the green bin. How can we 'return' to something we already have??
In simple terms, if you recycle half your rubbish then each bin is full every two weeks and then it is emptied. Add to that the extra containers for bottles and cans we actually have more 'domestic rubbish capacity' than ever. I am not much of a recycler, I only do it to make sure my black bin doesn't get filled up in one week.

Okay then. Working on the basis that this government's "we have no money we are all in this together" mantra isn't quite the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth (governments lying? heaven forbid!)) why would it be prepared to spend any of this money that it says it hasn't got on a relief road for Dawlish?

I've just sent this to Simon Thornley, Service Manager, Spatial Planning & Delivery at TDC.

Dear Mr Thornley,

As you know the prospect of an increase in the Dawlish population courtesy of the proposed new build houses has brought with it concerns about the consequent increase in the amount of traffic and in particular the negative impact this would have on the A379.

I note however that despite such concerns there is no mention in the draft Dawlish plan of a relief road being built anytime during the next 20 years.

I wonder therefore if you could let me know if such a relief road was ever given any serious consideration by the Steering Group?. Indeed, would the necessity and provision of such a road be within the remit of the steering group and TDC or would it be decided by Devon County Council, or central government?

I would be very interested to have your thoughts on this matter.

as a lot of this goes over my head all I can say is que sera sera

@neilh

As I see from another thread that you've recently been along Long Lane, and as Leatash (see above) suggested it as an alternative route in and out of Dawlish, I wondered if you'd given any thought to that suggestion when you were up there?

Dawlish is in a valley - there is no obvious route for a relief road and why would you want one? Most traffic approaching Dawlish from either the Exeter or Teignmouth sides of the town is heading to Dawlish, not past it. That's one of the more charming aspects to the town, it's not actually on the way to anywhere!

Don't know if a relief road is needed or not but if anyone in TDC is looking at such a road then there is a "natural" route which they could be considering along existing country roads which could bypass both Dawlish, Teignmouth and Bishops if necessary.

Coming from Cockwood along Exeter Road, turn right just after the Violet farm, then first left along Branscombe Lane, Hensford Road, Langdon Lane which brings you out at back of Dawlish at start of Long lane. From there drop down to dawlish water, straight across up Aller Hill to joing Holcombe Down Road (you've now bypassed Dawlsih). Up Holcombe Down Road to joing Exeter Road just below the golf club on Haldon. From there you could drop down Exeter Road to Teignmouth or drop down the lower road by the golf club to Bishops (bypassing Teignmouth as well) or continue along upper road by golf club to Newton (bypassing Bishops)..

So there are possibilities but it would be a massive development and I haven't seen the evidence for it - if the bulk of traffic is local to Teignmouth & Dawlish then such a relief road may not achieve very much.