Devon town 'will die' without new road

A funding bid recently failed for the project

Cullompton “will be dead” if it doesn’t get a new town centre relief road.

That’s the view of one councillor for Mid Devon, after a funding bid recently failed to secure the rest of the money needed for the project.

If it gets built, the road to the east of the town will reduce traffic through the town centre and improve capacity at junction 28 of the M5.

It will also unlock the development of 2,000 homes as part of the district council’s local plan, including an initial 500 properties east of Cullompton which will form part of the Culm Garden village.

However, the project remains uncertain after Mid Devon District Council failed to secure millions of pounds of government funding at the end of last year, leaving it short of just over half the projected cost of £25 million.

Planning permission was granted last January for both the road and a new home for Cullompton Cricket Club, which will relocate if the road is built.

Originally set to cost £15 million, councillors were told in August that the projected cost had ballooned to an estimated £25 million – blamed on increased costs from construction, replacing sporting facilities and the potential amount needed to buy land.

Last year Mid Devon bid for £13.5 million from the first round of the government‘s ‘levelling-up’ fund to address the shortfall, but was turned down. It can reapply to further rounds, the next of which is in the spring.

Updating the council’s cabinet this week, Councillor Richard Chesterton (Conservative, Lower Culm) said the feedback from the government department on the failed bid was “broadly positive” and that only 100 of the 305 bids across the UK were successful.

“Overall, it was encouraging feedback and we’ll be working with Devon County Council colleagues and our MP, Neil Parish, to revise and improve the bid when needed, in anticipation of the further funding round,” he added.

Responding to the update, Councillor John Berry (Conservative, South) raised concerns about the impact of potential new housing developments on the town if the road isn’t built.

“Does the cabinet and Mid Devon realise the problems that Cullompton will incur if the relief road isn’t built in before, or in conjunction with, the north-west development?”

He later added: “It is important for the sake of Cullompton and I hope you’ll agree that if this relief road isn’t through, you can forget Cullompton. It will be dead.”

Cllr Chesterton said although the council had yet to get all the funding needed, it had been allowed to spend £560,000 of previously agreed Homes England money to continue developing the project.

“It is extremely positive that we’ve been able to secure approval for this further drawdown of funding and allow the project continue, putting us in a better and more advanced position for when we’re able to next bid for further funding to enable the delivery of this infrastructure project,” he said.

Cllr Chesterton confirmed the council would not need to pay this money back to Homes England should the scheme not go ahead, allowing it to continue “without incurring additional financial cost or risk.”

However, it may still have to pay back another £635,000 already spent from the £10 million Homes England funding, with concerns over the deadline as part of the agreement with the council.

Members were warned that Homes England requires the project to be completed by March next year. A council report acknowledged this won’t be possible and said a review of the agreement, including the time limit, is being carried out.

Councillor Nikki Woollatt (Independent, Cullompton North) said she was “very, very concerned” about the money potentially being lost, adding the agreement “must be renegotiated.”

The report to cabinet said the discussions with Homes England “will allow the parties to review the terms of the agreement in light of the status of the project and consider any variations required … in order to support delivery.”

Members approved the spending of a further £560,000 of the funding, to allow more feasibility and technical work on the relief road in preparation for a bid of more government money.