Exmouth subway closure plans withdrawn

Plans to close a subway in Exmouth are set to be withdrawn

Plans to close a subway and create new pedestrian crossings in a Devon seaside town have been thrown out.

In public consultations most people objected to the closure of the subway near the railway station as part of the Exmouth Gateway plans.

A report recommended the removal of the Exmouth Gateway scheme but the continuation of plans to extend Dinan Way to join up with the A376.

The cabinet of Devon County Council agreed to withdraw the plans.

Councillors heard the rejection of the scheme meant Exmouth would miss out on about £4.4m of funding and the cabinet agreed to continue looking for ways of retaining some of that money.

'Critical element'

The county council report said the Exmouth Gateway plans were intended to "encourage more active travel, particularly for shorter journeys, reduce congestion and improve connectivity across the town".

It said the removal of the subway was "a critical element in delivering the full benefits of the overall scheme".

Council officers said subways were "widely associated with anti-social behaviour" and the one in Exmouth was prone to flooding.

It would have cost about £220,000 to close and fill in the subway.

According to the report, the subway closure would have made it possible to widen the shared pedestrian and cycle path and change the zebra crossing to one with traffic lights.

The plans included a new zebra crossing outside The Strand Inn, a pedestrian crossing on Royal Avenue, and widening the footpath to the leisure centre.

The Exmouth Gateway and the Dinan Way Extension projects are part of the Destination Exmouth scheme which has been granted nearly £16m of Levelling Up Fund money, with match funding of about £1.75m from Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council.

The report to cabinet said negotiations with the government were ongoing to understand the financial impact of not delivering the gateway scheme.