PLANS to spruce up Victoria Gardens as a feature next to Newton Abbot town centre are still on the cards, but hopes of lowering the wall of the River Lemon appear to have been dashed.

Town clerk Phil Rowe told a town council meeting on Wednesday that it now seemed unlikely the Environment Agency would allow part of the wall to come down.

The project, which would include a new footbridge and other plans – including a community area and in phase two a refreshment kiosk – was backed by the public in suggestions in the community plan.

Cllr Mike Hocking said that at the recent annual meeting in the town everyone, as far as he knew, favoured the idea.

'There is another strategy working party meeting very soon and I hope it will look at the new costs.