DEVON County Council is currently engaging on a proposed multi-use trail between Crediton and Exeter. This engagement has begun and will run to Saturday, November 30.

There has been a long-term aspiration to provide an active travel route between Crediton and Exeter.

This route has been previously looked at by Sustrans and the localBoniface Trail Association.

For journeys between the two settlements, there is high demand for travel, as shown by the number of passengers using Crediton Railway Station, which has more than doubled in recent years and the amount of traffic on the A377 causing congestion issues on the edge of Exeter.

While the distance between Exeter and Crediton is almost 13km, there is no continuous path to provide a safe walking, wheeling or cycling link between them.

There are currently two proposed alignments: theA377 alignmentand theQuiet Lanes Alignment.

Devon County Council hopes that the extended engagement period will be a chance for it to understand which alignment is preferred.

TheBoniface Trailis one of the proposed routes within the draftCountywide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP),which is currently out for public engagement.

For more details on this, the other routes within the LCWIP and how to feedback on it, please visit the project webpage.

Crediton has a population of approximately 8,000 and is the third largest town in Mid Devon.

A large number of the residents work or socialise in Exeter and therefore a multi-use route would provide an active travel option for these journeys.

It would also serve as an alternative mode of travel for leisure and commuting as well as linking together the smaller communities along the route, such as Newton St Cyres, Half Moon and Cowley.

This route may also be used by people travelling to education opportunities atExeter CollegeandUniversity of Exeter, as well asNewton St Cyres Primary School,Queen Elizabeth’sSchool andHayward’s Primary School.

The most direct route between Crediton and Exeter is along the A377, but this is one of the main road links to northern Devon and, as such, has a high volume of traffic, including a high number of heavy goods vehicles passing along it.

Two potential solutions to this have been proposed.

A377 Alignment

The route along the A377 would be a purpose-built, off-road cycle route. It would start at Crediton Railway Station, with potential links to the town centre as suggested in theCrediton Town Centre Masterplan.

The route would then run along the northern side of the A377 to Cowley Bridge roundabout on the edge of Exeter, before continuing to Exeter St David’s Railway Station.

The section between Crediton and Newton St Cyres would require minimal private land and can use the verge parallel to the A377 with some minor road alignment.

However, the section between Newton St Cyres and Exeter is more challenging and would require some deviation from the A377 through private land to avoid pinch points where houses and structures are on both sides of the road. Crossing the Rivers Creedy and Exe and the railway line at Cowley Bridge is also a significant constraint.

This alignment would likely require significant levels of land purchasing and acquisition.

This would need further investigation to establish the costs and feasibility of land needed for the full route. Due to these land purchases and the substantial construction works needed to ensure a high standard route is delivered, this would be the more expensive route option, and the most difficult to deliver.

Therefore it would likely be delivered in phases over a number of years with significant external funding from central government required.

Quiet Lanes Alignment

The Quiet Lanes approach would require upgrades to Public Footpath and traffic calming measures on lightly trafficked lanes north of the A377.

Leave Crediton at Lords Meadow Leisure Centre, this route would use an upgraded Public Footpath past the football pitches, crossing the River Creedy to link to the lane towards Shobrooke.

At South Lodge, the route would turn southwest to connect to Newton St Cyres Railway Station, via Camps Cross and Wyke Cross. Continuing along lanes passing Norton Cross and Winscott Cross, it would use upgraded Public Footpaths between Langford House and Upton Pyne.

It would rejoin the A377 at Upton Pyne Hill, before continuing to Exeter St David’s via St Andrew’s Road and Station Road.

This route would be likely to require minimal land purchases as it can largely be delivered within the existing highway boundary.

Along with the fact there will be less major construction works, this will make it more deliverable than the A377 alignment.

This also means that the delivery timescales would be shorter and short-term successes could be more easily achieved, with less external funding required.

Have your say

There are several ways to provide feedback on the Boniface Trail alignment options.

• Complete the online feedback form. Paper copies are available upon request.

• Give feedback directly to a member of Devon County Council’s project team:

• in writing to:Transport Planning, Room 120, County Hall, Topsham, Exeter, EX2 4QD

• by email to: [email protected].

• Attend a public engagement webinar.OnOctober 9 at 6pm,Devon County Council will be running an engagement webinar at Crediton Congregational Church.A short presentation will be given, followed by a question and answer session to give people the chance to speak directly to the project team. To sign up to this, click here.

To request materials in an accessible format, or if you have any other queries, please get in touch using the contact details above.

For further details, see: www.devon.gov.uk/haveyoursay/consultations/boniface-trail/ .

• Share your views with fellow Crediton Courier readers.Email a letter to: [email protected] .

Please include your name, address and a daytime telephone number and indicate if you do not wish to have your name and address printed.