Residents fed up with town's 'gridlock' demand answers

Residents of a Devon town say they are fed up with "gridlock" on the roads, as closures pile pressure on those trying to get to work, run businesses and live their daily lives.

People in Newton Abbot met on Thursday to challenge officials over what they call "Newton gridlock" since the closure of the A382, which links to the A38, in September for works. There are plans to shut the A383 for about 30 weeks.

Newton Abbot's MP Martin Wrigley said the "nightmare" began when East Street closed in 2024 to replace a gas main.

Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council said several long‑term improvement schemes and "immediate and unavoidable repairs" had created "a significant challenge".

Business owner Linda Shaw, who is preparing to open a new cut flower farm in May, said the closures were having a serious effect on the town.

She said after the meeting: "It really opened your eyes, actually, to realise what sort of effect this is going to have on businesses and people in daily lives."

Shaw said she accepted the roads needed upgrading but warned: "None of us will be able to get around from A to B because there is no way of getting in and out of Newton Abbot on a direct link."

Her flower farm preparations have been under way since last autumn, and she said delaying was impossible because "plants do not stop growing".

MP Wrigley criticised what he called poor communication from Devon County Council.

"Everybody accepts the road works need to happen so that Newton Abbot can thrive once they're completed," he said.

"But why do they need to do it in two phases? Why can't they, like the Channel Tunnel, start at one end, start at the other, and meet in the middle?"

He told residents he believed businesses directly affected should seek compensation and said controlling utility companies would help stop the disruption getting worse.

Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council said in a joint statement: "A great deal of planning goes into coordinating roadworks, but it is not always possible to schedule works consecutively, and emergency or unplanned issues can create unavoidable overlaps.

"At present, several major road improvement schemes linked to long-term infrastructure changes are under way across the town.

"These, combined with immediate and unavoidable repairs, have created significant challenges on the road network."

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