Fresh anger over Newton Abbot revamp

Queen Street plans dominate budget debate

The leaders of Teignbridge Council have been accused of ‘planning to fail’ as the controversy over the future of Newton Abbot town centre rages.

Major changes are proposed for traffic in busy Queen Street, including widened pavements and the removal of more than half the parking spaces.

Supporters say the plans will improve the shopping experience and boost trade, but opponents fear the worst. A number of prominent business leaders object to the plans and have urged councillors to think again.

The scheme is being driven by Devon County Council, but the debate dominated budget discussions at Teignbridge's overview and scrutiny committee.

Members were being asked to look at the authority’s latest budget proposals in the lead-up to setting its council tax.

But Cllr Jane Taylor (SD Alliance, Kerswell-with-Coombe) wanted to know what provisions had been made for what she claims is the likely failure of the Queen Street scheme.

“It’s clear that we are planning to fail,” she said. “Part of this budget relies on Queen Street. It relies on business rates and footfall.

“If Queen Street goes ahead, this financial planning will fail in many aspects. I would be interested to see what it looks like when we have many empty shops in Queen Street and much less footfall.

“You don’t need a crystal ball to see what the future is on this. This financial plan is flawed because we are missing a huge issue, and that is the death of Newton Abbot town centre.”

But deputy council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) hit back: “I don’t see what Cllr Taylor sees in Queen Street.

“I see an investment into our community, one that has taken a very long time and many consultations with the public.

“This investment will only bring more shops and more footfall into the area.”

He said the overall budget puts Teignbridge in a good position.

“It is a very good budget for this council,” he said. “We are still keeping the lights on and doing the job where many other councils aren’t.”