SOME of the spring water to the home an objector to the Kingskerswell bypass would be lost if the dual carriageway was built on a hill above his home.

John Hartley told the second day of the public inquiry that the road would go through a cutting and that would sever the springs.

'There are three springs and I have a right to that water.

'I have had a word with the Government Office North East and they have told me to send all the paperwork and details for evaluation and they will make a decision,' said Mr Hartley who lives at Woodlands.

He maintained a CPO would be required because the land was supplementary to do with loss of land proposed for the cutting and therefore he did not know whether to consider himself an objector or statutory objector.

The inspector, Jack Moffett, who had asked if any of the objectors had any questions of engineering consultant Michael Smith, told him he should concentrate on asking Mr Smith questions.

'Whether or not you consider yourself to be an objector or statutory objector, that does not affect the impact of the scheme on your water supply. The way forward is to cross examine Mr Smith,' he said.

Mr Hartley emphasised again that the Government Office North East had agreed to have a look at this.

He was then told by Mr Moffett: 'You are an objector and objecting about loss of water. Quite frankly I am not really interested in your relations with the Government Office North West'.

Mr Hartley then questioned Mr Smith as to whether he would lose any water and was informed that he would lose something like 50 per cent in the winter and it would be a negligible loss in the summer.

In his evidence Mr Smith said 11 properties would have to be demolished to make way for the bypass, only two of which were occupied and the owners did not object. The remaining nine were owned by the county council.

The scheme would require 59.86 hectares of land and would involve approximately 785,000 cubic metres of excavation, with 18,000 cubic metres surplus to requirements, while the construction programme site works would last about three years.

Mr Smith, who has been involved in the design and assessment of the bypass since 2001, said a flyover would be built at Penn Inn and the road would continue southwards with retaining walls at the side.

It would cross embankments and through cuttings while three new roundabouts were included at Aller, Hazelbank and Langford.

Torquay bound traffic leaving Aller Brake Road, Newton Abbot, would go to a new junction near the Aller Vale Quarry, with Newton Abbot bound vehicles going via a new junction created between Aller Brake Road and St Marychurch Road to join the A380 at Penn Inn.

There would be no right turn for vehicles leaving Aller Brake Road into St Marychurch Road and no left turn from the latter into Aller Brake Road, to prevent drivers taking shortcuts.

A cycle/footway only would link Aller Brake Road and Addison Road.

Mr Smith said Church Way Lane, Kingskerswell, was to be severed by the scheme and a new highway constructed to join it with Huxnor Road.

The current single carriageway at the bottom of Hamelin Way, Torquay, would be made dual-carriageway and the bypass would join it where phased traffic signals would operate for west and north bound traffic only.