Anger has greeted news that part of a flagship £2.9 million cycle path between Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton could be put on hold and the cash diverted to pay for road improvements.

The cycle link won planning permission earlier this year and will feature a dramatic new bridge over the River Teign at Town Quay.

It will form part of the National Route 2 cycle path and has been the subject of campaigning for many years.

Construction work is already under way as it is on the Moretonhampstead to Bovey Tracey path, a separate but linked project designed to provide a traffic-free route to inland communities.

Last year Devon County Council agreed to fund the Newton Abbot to Kingsteignton section with £2.4million from its Community Infrastructure Fund.

An additional £500,000 was given by eco-transport charity Sustrans but if the money is not spent within the next 15 months it will go elsewhere.

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