Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 4

Greater places for people

Measures that help to support a vibrant city centre

• Reduce dominance of cars in the city centre and core walking areas linked to public realm, redevelopment of the city centre and to support investment.
• Review parking charges for off-peak travel to discourage peak period travel and encourage longer stays in the city centre.
• Upgrade Exeter St David’s station gateway and interchange.

The place to be naturally active

Supporting Active Exeter’s goals

• Enhance key pedestrian corridors, including new river and main road crossings and improved access to transport interchanges.
• Quieter and safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists in residential areas.
• Green lanes supporting active travel from villages to the edge of the city.
• Comprehensive city-wide cycle network linking all key destinations, delivering safe routes that can be used and enjoyed by all.
• Improve access to cycles, including city-wide cycle hire scheme and greater access to storage facilities.
• Employer, school and residential travel planning programmes to encourage sustainable travel choices.

Unlock development

• Bus priority on A3052/A376 towards M5 Junction 30.
• Strategic active travel routes to Cranbrook and along the A3052 corridor.
• Deliver car club and cycle hire schemes to support new development policy
• requirements in Exeter.
• Use technological advancements to adapt and optimise operation of the highway network.

Easier travel

Creating a connected city region

• Enhance bus services between Exeter and surrounding towns to provide 15- minute frequency from Cranbrook, Crediton, Cullompton and Newton Abbot.
• ‘Devon Metro’ with at least half hourly frequency on rail lines into Exeter and new stations at Cullompton, Okehampton Interchange and exploring potential at Monkerton.
• Enhanced bus to rail interchange at Polsloe Bridge and Digby & Sowton stations.
• New strategic walking and cycling trails connecting surrounding towns to Exeter.

Attractive urban bus measures

• Measures to enhance bus priority on key corridors, including Cowick Street,
• Exe Bridges, New North Road, Pinhoe Road and Heavitree Road.
• Attractive modern low emission buses, improved bus stop infrastructure and information systems to enhance passenger experience.
• Park and ride or park and change sites on main corridors and increase cross city services to improve linkages to employment on the edges of the city.
• Enhance bus frequency on routes across the city.

Decarbonisation

Transition to lower emission fuels

• Support roll-out of and identify assets that support uptake of low emission vehicles.
• Provide electric shared mobility, electric vehicle charging facilities and investigate potential for energy generation on park and ride sites.
• Community Charge Hub at Matford park and ride.
• Decarbonisation of the public transport fleet, with priority to services running along corridors with highest levels of air pollution.

Innovation and Invention

• Allow trials and testing of new measures and/or network changes to accelerate processes for decarbonising the transport network.
• Data sharing and collaborative working to support partners and innovators to develop new solutions to decarbonising transport.
• Single ticketing platform for multi-modal travel in Exeter, working towards providing a new zero-emission transport subscription service.

Greater places for people

• Delivery of town centre public realm improvements across Torbay.
• Enhance Torquay Harbour’s public realm by improving the pedestrian environment of
• The Strand and reducing vehicular dominance on the seafront.
• Improve Torquay’s road layout and wayfinding to improve entry and exit into the town centre.
• Upgrade public transport gateways in Torbay’s town centres.

Easier travel

Improving travel choice

• New railway station at Edginswell to create new opportunities for travel to Torbay
• Hospital and other nearby destinations.
• New bus/coach services from Torbay to East of Exeter.
• Enhance integration of bus and rail services.
• Network of shared travel choices (bike hire/car club) across Torbay.

Attractive public transport

• Attractive modern vehicles.
• Higher frequency bus services between town centres and major employment and education sites.
• Faster bus journey times, including priority at traffic signals, bus only access, and reduced impact of on-street parking on bus service reliability.
• Extend operating hours of bus services, including evening services and night services through the week.

Access to public transport

• Improve bus stop infrastructure and information systems, including wayfinding between bus and rail services.
• Improved access for all at railway stations.

The place to be naturally active

• Strategic Cycle Network
• Work with partners to deliver South Devon Cycle Way and connect Torbay into the existing traffic free, multi-use trail network in Devon.
• Deliver strategic cycle routes within Torbay, including Hospital Trail, Torquay Town Trail and northern sections of the Beaches Trail.
• Develop proposals for the Zoo Trail and southern sections of Beaches Trail.

Improving access for pedestrians and cycles

• Improve pedestrian and cycle crossings to town and neighbourhood centres and where they support delivery of the strategic cycle network.
• Improve attractiveness and safety of walking and cycling routes to schools.
• Create quieter and safer streets for residents, pedestrians and cyclists.

Decarbonisation

• Transition to lower and zero emission buses across Torbay.
• Increasing travel choice to help reduce traffic movements across Torbay.
• Deliver a network of electric vehicle charging points.
• Promote peer-to-peer charging.

Unlock development

• Require secure cycle parking and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
• Ensure suitable access to and/or improvements to local bus stop facilities.
• Provide high quality pedestrian and cycle access, including delivery of sections of
• LCWIP routes.
• Require travel planning for school expansions and all major developments.

Reliable and resilient network

• Identify proposals to improve active travel provision and vehicle performance on the Major Road Network.
• Protect and enhance access to Brixham Harbour.
• Reduce the number of casualties on the highway network.

Unlock development

Unlock strategic development through the delivery of:

• Improvements to the A39/A361 North Devon Link Road, local vehicle links to unlock sites and new bus routes and improved crossings of roads and the River Taw to support a range of travel choices.
• Enhanced bus services, attractive walking and cycling links and new and improved  junctions with major highway links to unlock development at Tiverton and Culm Garden.
• New access to the A38, pedestrian and cycle facilities and infrastructure to unlock the
• Plymouth and South Devon Freeport.
• Completion of planned highway links in Heart of Teignbridge including Houghton
• Barton Link Road, A382 Phase 3, Wolbororugh Link Road and Jetty Marsh Phase 2.

Easier travel

• Improve the attractiveness of public transport by increasing service frequency, convenience of interchange and quality of public transport vehicles.
• Half hourly rail frequency from Barnstaple to Exeter.
• New railway station at Cullompton.
• Ensure attractive bus service provision, where feasible integrated with the rail network, to serve new development in the growth areas.
• Bus priority at key pinch points to improve journey times and reliability.
• Trial of shared modes including car club vehicles in the largest urban areas.

Greater places for people

Contribute towards vibrant town centres through:

• Enhancing Newton Abbot town centre, including Queen Street, and enhancements to sustainable travel at junctions.
• Expanding low traffic and pedestrianised areas in Barnstaple town centre.
• Reducing dominance of vehicles and improving public realm in Cullompton.
• Cullompton Relief Road and Tiverton town centre enhancements.

Decarbonisation

• Support the transition to lower emission fuels through increasing the number of
• Electric Vehicle charging points.
• Support peer-to-peer charging.
• Provide information to reduce barriers and improve awareness of charging options.
• Support new technologies, including the hydrogen opportunities at Appledore and the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport.
• Work with operators to reduce carbon emission from public transport vehicles and roll out of electric buses on high pollution routes.

The place to be naturally active

• Expansion and improvement of the multi-use trail network, including completion of
• Tarka Trail and delivery of Teign Estuary Trail and Newton Abbot to Torbay cycle route.
• Delivery of local area active travel enhancements identified in the Heart of Teignbridge and Barnstaple, Bideford and Northam LCWIPs.
• Completion of emerging Mid Devon LCWIP and progression of priority schemes.

Decarbonisation

Transition to lower emission fuels

• Work with stakeholders to deliver improvements to EV charging infrastructure in our rural areas including at key tourism destinations.
• Promote peer-to-peer charging networks.
• Work with transport service providers to decarbonise rural transport fleets, including branch lines in the South West to be a test bed for low carbon railways.

Digital services

• Improve digital access and online services across Devon’s rural areas, with particular focus on areas with poor mobile/broadband connections.
• Further increase the availability of online council services and work with public sector partners to increase their online service delivery.

Greater places for people

Enhance local centres

• Enhance cycle and vehicular parking facilities in rural centres.
• Introduce 20mph speed limit in settlements where locally supported.
• Work with public sector organisations to identify and implement opportunities to deliver more community services within rural settlements.
• Work with district councils and partners to support sustainable development.

Destination Devon

• Support enhanced pedestrian, cycling and vehicular parking facilities at seafront destinations.
• Enhance town centre environments.
• Work with organisations to promote sustainable leisure travel.

The place to be naturally active

• Develop a countywide LCWIP.
• Continue expansion of the multi-use trail network, creating a safe and attractive environment for pedestrians, cyclists and, where appropriate, horse riders.
• Identify local priorities for improving walking, cycling and horse riding and trial changes to expand network of green lanes.
• Support opportunities for temporary highway closures for local events in rural villages.
• Improve access to cycling through continued delivery of Cycle Confidence sessions and removal of barriers on the National Cycle Network.
• Deliver improvements to safety in rural areas, including changes to speed limits and locally supported changes to reduce noise and/or improve active travel.

Easier travel

Developing the Devon Metro

• Half hourly rail frequency on East Devon section of Exeter to Waterloo Line.
• Work collaboratively with rail industry partners to deliver the reinstatement of the Tamar
• Valley branch line to Tavistock.
• Deliver the West Devon Transport Hub with a new railway station, Okehampton Interchange.

New opportunities

• Extend of the London Waterloo to Exeter St David’s service further into Devon.
• Work with the rail, bus, and coach industry to deliver ‘hub and ride’ improvements where rural residents can access longer-distance transport services.
• Protect, expand and improve rail, bus service and cycle integration.
• Deliver the Dinan Way extension in Exmouth.

Collaborative working

• Continue to work with organisations to support and broaden the community transport services they provide.
• Work with communities to support them to deliver community-led access and transport solutions tailored to their specific needs.

Shared modes

• Support mobility hubs and integrating sustainable travel choices at larger market and coastal towns.
• Work with the car club industry and communities to identify and deliver sustainable modes of provision in rural areas feeding into a shared modes strategy.
• Work with district councils and partners to ensure new rural developments embed decarbonised, active, public and shared transport into new developments.

Connecting Devon and Torbay to the rest of the country.

Reliable and Resilient Network

• Completion of the South West resilience works on the railway between Dawlish and Teignmouth.
• Enhancements on the Exeter to London Waterloo Line to increase diversionary capacity and service frequency to East Devon.
• Work with the rail industry to make the case for enhancements to the North Devon Line to address overcrowding and improved connectivity.
• Completion of North Devon Link Road enhancements.
• Protect and enhance the resilience of M5 J29 to J31/Splatford Split.
• Enhanced motorway service station capacity by the Strategic Road Network gateway into the Southwest at M5 J29 to J31.
• Review speed limits on major A roads and identify opportunities for different speed limits on busiest roads.

Easier Travel

• Lobby for enhanced mobile connectivity on trains and improved rail rolling stock.
• Extension of existing London Waterloo to Exeter service further into Devon.
• Seek additional long distance rail services to and from Devon and Torbay.
• Improve access to Exeter airport by sustainable modes.
• Improve lorry parking facilities on key routes.
• Protect and enhance integration between bus and rail services.
• Simplify fare structure and introduce integrated ticketing for public transport.

Decarbonisation

• Improve digital access and online services, with particular focus on areas with poor mobile or broadband connections.
• Support the delivery of EV charging and alternative fuel stations across the Major Road Network and Strategic Road Network.
• Support suitable opportunities to increase rail freight.

Unlock development

• Work with partners to deliver infrastructure to support the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport.

Reliable and resilient network

• Continue to prioritise maintenance of A and B classified routes.
• Continued bridge assessment and strengthening program, with priority on A and B roads.
• Upgrade and enhance traffic signals across Devon.
• Review and trial reducing speed limits on key corridors.
• Support development of single parking ticketing system.
• Review spending and priorities for the on-street Parking Account.

Greater Places for people

• 20mph speed limit in settlements where locally supported.
• Implement ‘School Streets’ where appropriate to continue to safer walking and cycling options for school children.
• Use of Healthy Street design tool in new projects.
• Complement new Infrastructure with engagement and behaviour change measures.
• Delivery of casualty severance reduction program to tackle collision hotspots.
• Continued collaborative working with partners through Vision Zero South West.

The place to be naturally active

• Increase funding for maintenance of active travel routes.
• Winter treatment of the most used active travel routes.

Decarbonisation

• Develop a Low Carbon Procurement Strategy.
• Develop a Carbon Design Toolkit to help elevate the importance of carbon alongside cost and quality during scheme development.
• Continuing update of streetlighting network.
• Support roll-out of comprehensive Electric Vehicle Charging Network.
• Support the transition to zero-emission buses.

To provide your feedback via the online questionnaire, please click here.

You can view a printable version of the questionnaire here. Please return by post to:

Transport Planning, Devon County Council, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD.

If you represent a community group or are a transport stakeholder, you can provide a written statement as a response by emailing: transportplanning@devon.gov.uk

During the consultation period, you can access hard copies of the the following materials at all libraries across Devon and Torbay:

• Local Transport Plan 4 Full Document
• Local Transport Plan 4 Summary Booklet
• Consultation Questionnaire
• Strategic Environmental Assessment

Find your local library here.

These resources are available to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the proposed plans.

You may also like to attend one of our online webinars where you can find out more about the LTP4 document and speak to members of the project team.

To find out more about these webinars and to register your interest, please click on your preferred date below.

• Tuesday 8 October 2024 6-7pm: Register to attend here.
• Monday 18 November 2024 6-7pm: Register to attend here.