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Bovey residents have 10-mile detour

VIDEO: It's a year since landslip

People who live near a landslip at Bovey Tracey are calling for Devon County Council to pull their finger out and fix a road that's been closed for more than a year.

The highway collapsed into Blue Water Pond, alongside the road. Although pedestrians and cyclists can still use it, the road's been unsuitable for vehicles ever since.

A landslip at Ashburton Road has meant a 10-mile round-trip into town, which is normally three miles away. Historic mining and quarrying has led to landslips before, but the council has understandably had pressing issues caused by covid over the past year. Some things have slipped down the list.

For residents at nearby New Park, it's a major problem though, particularly for those who have help from carers. Emergency services take longer to reach them too. And sat navs aren't considering the road closure, which causes further traffic issues.

Devon County Council is hoping to fix the problem by next year, including by constructing in adjacent fields which are part of Dartmoor National Park and that needs careful handling.

This video report is from BBC Spotlight.

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