UTILITY work due to start on Ashburton Road in Newton Abbot this week has now been moved and re-scheduled.

In the wake of public backlash and following discussions between Devon County Council (DCC), Teignbridge District Council (TDC) and developer Bloor Homes, it has been agreed that the initial work to install utility services to the Houghton Barton housing development will instead be routed via Chercombe Valley Road, starting on Monday, November 3.

Temporary traffic lights will be needed on Chercombe Valley Road for nine weeks while work is carried out, DCC says.

It will, however, leave the A383 Ashburton Road clear in the run-up to Christmas.

From February 2026, Bloor Homes will then carry out work on the A383 for around 30 weeks, rather than the initial November start date.

In addition to the date being sued back, a series of mitigation measures will be implemented.

The contractor working for Bloor Homes, Power On Water, will ensure:

• They will work extended hours and have additional staff on site to reduce the number of days on the highway;

• Where possible they will work on verges and pavements rather than the road;

• Temporary traffic lights will be manually controlled and work will be managed to reduce the need for three-way traffic lights which adds to delays and impacts side roads;

• All utility services are included to prevent the need to return at a later date for further installations.

The announcement by DCC comes after the Mid-Devon Advertiser first broke the news that drivers in Newton Abbot were soon to face yet more disruption to their journeys; the news sparked widespread backlash.

Planning permission has been granted for 1,100 homes at Houghton Barton, which is a strategic development site in Teignbridge District Council’s Local Plan.

Utility connections to the homes have to be installed along Ashburton Road, and pausing the development would ‘jeopardise the Council’s [TDC] statutory housing delivery targets’, the council says .

‘We issue around 50,000 permits a year to give permission for work on the highway’, says a spokesperson for Devon County Council.

‘Not every application is approved but we have to balance work that needs to happen while minimising the impact on people’s everyday lives’, the spokesperson added.

Councillor Dan Thomas, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: ‘There is always pressure on our roads, and government targets for new homes, upgrading of utility equipment such as gas and water mains, and the roll-out of broadband, all add to the challenge of managing Devon’s highway network, which is the biggest in the country.

‘We have been in discussion for some time with Bloor Homes and Teignbridge District Council about work planned on the A383.

‘A lot of work has gone into reaching a solution which provides a way forward and minimises disruption by almost halving the time needed for work on the A383.

‘Crucially it means that the A383 will be clear ahead of Christmas, which will help local businesses.

‘Our highways teams will be monitoring the work to make sure all of the mitigation measures are being followed’.