Dawlish Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) link and bridge
Key information
- A new link road and bridge over the Shutterton Brook is being constructed.
- Phase 1 of the project will create a connection from the A379 to Secmaton Farm.
- Works are expected to be completed by summer 2024.
- Funding comes from £4.9m government grant and £1.3m developer contributions.
- No formal road closures are planned during construction.
- Phase 2 (area 2) through to Elm Grove Road will subsequently be constructed by developers.
Background
Devon County Council is working in partnership with Teignbridge District Council to manage the design and construction of a new bridge and section of road west of the A379 within the Shutterton area of Dawlish.
In 2019 Teignbridge District Council was awarded £4.9m funding via Homes England’s HIF towards the provision of a new bridge and section of a new road linking the A379 (Sainsbury’s roundabout) to Elm Grove Road.
The HIF is a government capital grant programme that seeks to assist the delivery of new infrastructure in connection with the construction of new homes in areas of greatest housing demand.
The Dawlish HIF infrastructure scheme is allocated through the Teignbridge local plan 2013 to 2033, alongside 860 homes.
The scheme will provide direct access to more than 400 new homes at Secmaton Farm and Swan Park in Dawlish (areas 3 and 4). It will also facilitate access to approximately 400 additional homes at Gatehouse Farm (area 2), including construction access.
Progress so far
Since 2019, there has been considerable progress with the project such as:
- planning permission has been granted for homes either side of the Shutterton Brook (areas 3 and 4), as well as associated sections of the link road
- planning permission has also been granted for the bridge across Shutterton Brook between areas 3 and 4)
- detailed design has been completed for the road and bridge within areas 3 and 4
- the first section of road has been constructed through Swan Park (area 4) by Persimmon Homes
- conditional legal agreements have been completed with Devon County Council and the landowners at areas 3 and 4, enabling construction of the bridge and area 3 section of road
- additional developer contributions have been secured fulfilling the project budget
- a scheme for construction of the bridge and area 3 section of road has been procured and a main contractor appointed to commence works in late summer 2023
Updates on the progress of the construction project that started in September 2023, as well as letters to residents, can be found on the Montel Civil Engineering website.
For further information and to view the full planning applications associated with the work, see the references below:
- Planning ref 21/02872/FUL
- Planning ref 21/02674/MAJ
Available for viewing on Teignbridge District Council’s Planning Portal.
What we are doing
The Dawlish HIF scheme being delivered by Devon County Council includes, but not limited to, the construction of:
- a highway bridge
- approximately 110m of highway embankments on the approaches to the bridge, including carriageway and foot or cycleway
- approximately 360m of at grade carriageway
- surface water and foul water drainage features
- drainage basins, swale and associated items
- ecological mitigation and enhancement features
- landscaping
- fencing
This drawing below provides an overview of the scheme with proposed future housing development shown.
You can view full pdf of scheme overview here.
Timescales
Devon County Council has appointed Montel Civil Engineering as the main contractor for the work and agreed to a site commencement date of the week commencing 28 August 2023.
The construction of the HIF-related work is planned to be completed in summer 2024.
The developer-funded section of link road running through Gatehouse Farm (area 2) to Elm Grove Road is expected to complete afterwards.
Environment and ecology
Advanced works have taken place to remove vegetation, these were undertaken during the winter of 2022/23 to avoid potential impacts on nesting birds and dormice. Water voles that could be affected by the construction were displaced under a licence from Natural England during the same winter.
New landscaping will consist of wet woodland and shrubby woodland planting. Once established, this will provide habitat for bats and dormice, enhancing the area for these species.
The proposed bridge has been designed to be permeable to bats, this is achieved with a clear span design, whilst also providing sufficient headroom through which bats can fly.
No lighting is proposed on the bridge, to avoid deterring bats from flying along the brook and beneath the bridge.
Mammal and dormice features will be incorporated beneath the bridge to provide safe passage along the brook.
An otter holt has been constructed utilising trees felled from the site in the vicinity of the proposed bridge to provide further ecological enhancements.
Traffic management
The HIF works are ‘off network’, therefore there will be no formal road closures or significant disruption to the road network.
Montel Civil Engineering Limited
Montel Civil Engineering is a collaborative, experienced and successful privately owned civil engineering company, that deliver complex civil engineering projects up to £20 million, within both the public and private sectors
As a principal contractor, Montel Civil Engineering will plan, manage and deliver the Dawlish Bridge project on behalf of DCC.
Accessibility
We take accessibility seriously and recognise that some of the information presented in the files available on this page may not be fully accessible to someone using assistive technology such as a screen reader.
If you need guidance or an alternative format, email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk with details of any preferred format and the assistive technology you use.