THE Bovey Tracey-Chudleigh Knighton road could be closed for longer than the planned three months from January to the end of March.

Paul Beecher, of the Bovey Tracey Residents’ Association, told a meeting of Bovey Tracey Town Council on Monday that earlier that day he had asked county highways manager Nick Boulton if the works could extend for longer than three months and received the reply that it could be possible.

The main road is being closed completely at Bradley Bends while contractors realign the carriageway, rebuild a culvert and undertake other work for a new Bovis Homes development.

Mr Beecher said he knew the town council had made extensive efforts with county highways to reach some sort of compromise.

‘I phoned Mr Boulton to find out if he had received the residents’ association letter. He said he received many letters and was not sure of one from the association.

‘He said he had met with some members of Bovey Tracey Town Council and their suggestions were not found to be feasible and perhaps they had not passed the results of this meeting on to residents. I said our council had kept residents fully informed.

‘I said that residents found the situation unacceptable and their views were not being listened to and that a compromise for at least keeping the road partially open should be reinvestigated,’ said Mr Beecher.

He added that Mr Boulton had said the nature of the works would not allow this to happen.

The town council, which has expressed its concerns about the closure to Eric Pickles the former secretary of state for Communities and Local Government, has made a freedom of information request to Devon County Council and is awaiting a reply.

At Chudleigh Knighton, Hennock parish councillor Janette Parker fears closure will cause long-lasting changes to the village.

‘As a councillor I have spoken to local businesses in our community as to the effects this will have on them. Our local shop Knighton Stores is fearful that it will almost certainly close because it will lose all passing trade.

‘The shop is just recovering from the aftermath of the fire at the Anchor Inn in which scaffolding has been in the road, stopping parking, and now with this road closure our community is likely to lose a vital resource,’ said Cllr Parker.