Consultation launched on proposed improvements for Queen Street, Newton Abbot

People are being invited to have their say on proposals to enhance Queen Street in Newton Abbot. 

A public consultation has been launched today (Friday 29 April) by Devon County Council, in partnership with Teignbridge District Council, on a scheme to make Queen Street a more attractive, safe and healthy place for visitors and businesses.

Currently, the pavements in Queen Street are too narrow in places for large numbers of pedestrians, and side roads can be difficult to cross. 

The scheme plans being put forward aim to address these issues and people have until Friday 24 June to comment on the proposals.

These proposals include:

- Widened pavements to give shoppers more space to move and access shops and services;
- Improved crossings at side roads and safer crossing opportunities across Queen Street;
- Enhanced planting and street furniture such as public seating to make Queen Street a more appealing shopping destination;
- A reduction in parking spaces of around 55% across the scheme area, a small increase in disabled parking, and changes to loading bays to facilitate pedestrian enhancements;
- General traffic removal west of Albany Street and restricted access on some side roads;
- 20mph speed limit between The Avenue and Courtenay Street.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “This consultation is targeting those living in and around Newton Abbot, including the businesses along the street and we’re keen to get their feedback on these proposals. The scheme has been designed to make people feel safe and welcome by providing more space for pedestrians to enjoy and access shops and services. It would improve accessibility and would lead to cleaner air and reduced noise pollution.”

Teignbridge District Council Executive Member for Business, Economy and Tourism, Councillor Nina Jeffries, said: “Local people and businesses’ views on the proposed changes are really important, completing this consultation will help us gather the input from as many people who would use Queen Street as possible. Our aim is to make Queen Street a more accessible, attractive and safer place for people to visit and is an important step in our efforts to bring more visitors to Newton Abbot.”

Councillor Phil Bullivant, Devon County Councillor for Newton Abbot North, said: “The proposed investment to enhance the centre of Newton Abbot is welcomed. Making our town centre more attractive to pedestrians and increasing the green spaces are important features of these plans. The sacrifice of some on-street car parking spaces is regretted but the widening of pavements and planting of trees means that this is necessary for the proposed plans. I hope everyone will review these proposals and let the council have any comments so the details can be finalised.”

As part of the consultation, online webinars will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 17 May for residents and shoppers, and 6pm on Wednesday 18 May for business owners or representatives. 

There will also be a virtual ‘drop-in’ event from 6pm-8pm on Tuesday 24 May. This is an opportunity to dial in at any point during the two-hour window to give feedback directly to the project team. Attendees can join and leave at any time during the session.

At each event, officers from Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council will be on hand to answer any questions. 

To register for any of these events, please follow the relevant links on the project webpage or email the project team at transportplanning@devon.gov.uk

If you would like further information, please get in touch using the following contact details:
Address: Transport Planning, Matford Offices, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD
Phone: 0345 155 1004
Email: transportplanning@devon.gov.uk