Business leaders say a bypass would help the area get more jobs

Construction work is due to begin on the �42m scheme at Barnstaple in spring next year after the government gave the plans final approval this week.

Business leaders say the bypass is vital for north Devon's infrastructure.

But environment groups say they still disapprove of the plan, saying it will only encourage more cars into the area.

This bypass will cause significant damage to the local environment Friends of the Earth

Plans for the Barnstaple western bypass include a 1.7 mile (2.7km) stretch of new road and a 447 yard (409m) long bridge across the River Taw, to be known as the Downstream Bridge.

About �38m of the total amount needed for the scheme will be coming from the government. Devon County Council will also contribute to the scheme.

The new road will reduce traffic in Barnstaple town centre and cut journey times for motorists on the A361.

Devon County Council estimates the bypass will create 1,280 jobs and an additional �248m in business turnover.

Business leaders said it should help manufacturing companies in the area and encourage other companies to relocate.

On the Pottington Industrial Estate, on the north side of the town, some businesses said they could not wait for the finished construction to be in place because customers faced more than an hour in traffic to get through the town.

Company access

Peter Harding from Harcross Engineering said: "It's very serious in the summer.

"We've had visitors come to meet us and sometimes they're up to an hour or hour-and-half late for their appointment because they don't judge that they need that extra time to get through Barnstaple."

Last summer Friends of the Earth campaigners battled to stop the project by making a legal challenge at the Appeal Court, but it was dismissed by three judges.

Friends of the Earth said of the government's final approval of the plans: "We are terribly disappointed by the news.

"This bypass will cause significant damage to the local environment and encourage even more cars onto the road."