TEIGNBRIDGE tax payers could have to pump £500,000 into the Kingskerswell bypass in order to safeguard plans for new homes and industrial developments around Newton Abbot.

District leaders said it would be a wise investment but detractors claimed last-minute rule-bending to save the 'dubious' £130 million project.

Next month Teignbridge Council's executive will consider putting up half of the £1 million cost of building the Aller junction, a feature removed from the bypass proposal to save costs to make it more attractive to government.

But district leaders believe that without it residents in Kingskerswell will be unable to make the most of the new route. They are also worried that expansion of the Decoy industrial estate would be hampered and that Penn Inn will continue to operate at capacity, ruling out the building of new business units for which engineering firm Centrax has planning permission.

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