CREDITON Traffic Action Group mounted a highly-successful high-profile campaign outside the two-day public exhibition into the Crediton Link Road route and found that from those leaving the exhibition more than 80 per cent preferred the Valley Route.

The Valley Route was not included in the Devon County Council consultation exercise, held at The Old Town Hall, Crediton, after it had been discarded following a previous consultation exercise held at the same venue a year ago.

Last week, local residents were asked to make choices and comments on the Hillside and Western Routes, both of which have significant drawbacks. However, a route suggested by a Crediton businessman, who asks not to be named, was also not included.

He first suggested the East Hillside Route to Devon County Council (and copied to local County Councillor Nick Way) in a letter in October 2008.

More recently he spoke about the route at a CTAG meeting and since then, it appears to have won more favour.

The East Hillside Route would leave the A377 at the spur on the Tesco roundabout and join the end of Down End Road at the furthest part away from Crediton, where a road had always been intended to join the estate.

The benefits of this route would appear to be that in the future, the link could be made from the Down End Road junction to the Tiverton road (A3072) and it would also not be in front of Downes House, a point which is likely to be favourable to English Heritage and the Downes estate.

The Environment Agency would be unlikely to object to the East Hillside Route. DCC says it is likely the Environment Agency would object to the Valley Route.

Factors against the East Hill Route are that it would still have a steep gradient, possibly one in 10, near the junction with the A377 and where it would join Down End Road.

Also, the angle of the junction with Down End Road could be very sharp.

The Crediton resident who proposes this alternative solution has been in business on the Lords Meadow Industrial Estate for 30 years.

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