A major motorway could have a second junction in a bid to alleviate traffic as surrounding villages see up to 5,000 homes spring up in the next few years. Devon County Council is getting ready to ask the Government for money to build a second M5 junction and bridge at Cullompton.
This new junction, which will be south of Cullompton, is said to be very important for the town’s growth and the creation of the new Culm Garden Village. This village could have up to 5,000 homes built east of the town.
But, there are already big traffic problems at Junction 28 during busy times which often cause long lines of cars along Station Road, making causing pollution issues in the area.
In December, the council asked people what they thought about its plans to fix these problems. The most popular solution was to build a new junction and bridge south of Junction 28 with roads that lead off to the south.
The goal is to make traffic at Junction 28 less busy and make the air in the town centre cleaner.
The plans also included a road to help ease traffic in Cullompton from Duke Street to Station Road and improvements for walking and cycling. Almost 900 people gave their thoughts on the plans, with 92 per cent saying a Town Centre Relief Road was needed and 95 per cent saying improvements to Junction 28 were needed, reports Devon Live.
Nearly 80 per cent of those who responded liked the preferred option, a second bridge and roads leading off to the south.
Cllr Andrea Davis, who is in charge of Climate Change, Environment and Transport at Devon County Council, expressed her gratitude to everyone who participated in the consultation.
She said: “I want to thank everyone who took part in the consultation, it has further strengthened our case for our funding bid to the Department of Transport.”
She also highlighted the traffic issues in the town, saying: “Congestion is a major issue in the town and has been for some time and the slip road and junction no longer has the capacity to cope with the volume of traffic. It’s affecting the local economy, people’s lives and the viability of future development plans in the area.”
She was pleased with the response to their proposals, stating: “I’m pleased to see that an overwhelming majority of those who responded agree that our proposals for a new junction is the best solution.”
Cllr Steven Keable, who looks after Planning and Regeneration at Mid Devon District Council, welcomed the support from the community and the county council. He said: “This is a fantastic endorsement from the Cullompton community, and we really welcome the backing of Devon County Council to take forward this vital scheme to the Department of Transport. Not only will it improve the local environment for people, but it will also enable Mid Devon to deliver its local plan for the Culm Garden Village.”
Local county councillor for Cullompton and Bradninch, Cllr John Berry, has been pushing for the Cullompton Relief Road and a second junction for a long time. He said: “I have been campaigning for the Cullompton Relief Road and a second junction, for a long time. Many doubted it would ever happen, but I am delighted that after many years of encouraging people to think positively that we are now going to send our business case for funding to Government.”
“The daily volume of traffic that uses Junction 28 is untenable; it’s so high at peak times that cars queue dangerously onto the slip roads, the Town is gridlocked, and it has a knock-on effect on the wider local network, roads such as the B3181, and the A373 to Honiton.”
“I’m delighted that so many local people agree that it is vital something needs to be done and support the proposals. It’s the only viable way forward.”
Devon County Council’s Cabinet gave a green light last week for asking the Department of Transport (DfT) for funding. We have yet to hear when a decision would be made.
