Exmouth Town Council has agreed to hand over £400,000 as their share of the £20million needed to get the Dinan Way Link project started.

In the monthly town council meeting yesterday, (Monday, June 14) Exmouth Town Councillors agreed to pay their share out of the council's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which is money obtained from developers.

The work has been mooted on and off for 40 years, with residents used to the prospect of the road being ‘completed,’ in the local parlance, flaring up and then receding.

Currently it forms a partial ring road around Exmouth, but it lacks a final connection to the A376 Exeter road.

Now a new bid is being made to the second round of Westminster’s ‘levelling-up’ fund for the project to link Dinan Way – a lengthy road extending from the Exmouth/Budleigh Salterton road through a major residential area – through to the main A376 Exeter road.

An application is being made to the Government's Levelled Up fund for £18million, with Devon County Council committing to provide £1million and East Devon District Council £400,000.

At the meeting on Monday, concerns were raised over the impact the proposed road extension could have on traffic in Littleham and in Salterton Road.

Littleham Councillors Bruce De Saram and Cllr Mike Rosser wanted an amendment which would stop traffic from being pushed through Littleham.

Cllr Brian Bailey agreed, adding: "I find myself being totally in favour of this, Exmouth is choking with traffic, there used to be summer traffic and winter traffic but not any more, all through the year the traffic is getting worse, we supported the first chance, we ought to support the second and I believe with the change that we are fully involved with the discussions on the plans."

Cllr Mike Rosser said: "One of my concerns about this project, is the increased traffic on Dinan Way.

"People heading towards Sandy Bay, and Tesco's will rather than turning right and facing gridlock, will cut through Littleham housing estate, placing residents at risk, if the council are to agree to this funding, I hope that the council we share concerns of residents safety and subject to Devon Highways ensuring traffic will not be diverted through the Littleham housing estate."

Cllr Bruce De Saram said: "I'd like to ask our two district councillors here today, having heard this amendment, are you in a position to make this go somewhere, or is it going to just be put on the back burner for another decade, will this be feasible to actually achieve? I will support it if it is. "

Devon County Councillor Richard Scott, said the traffic issues are 'completely seperate issues.

He said: "It's not for me to tell you what the council motion should be, can it be achieved? well anything can be, but the question is, is it relevant to what you are being asked tonight, you've been asked for CIL (community infrastructure levy) funding in relation to a specific scheme."

Cllr Pauline Stott said: "We are here tonight to agree the £400,00 to go with East Devon's £400,000 and £1million from Devon County Council, to try and get the scheme started, we can sort out the separate issues later."

Exmouth Town Council agreed to ask Devon County Council to implement a strategy to ensure the resident's safety at Littleham and Salterton Road.

Councillors then voted to commit £400,000 towards the Dinan Way scheme, should the Levelling Up application prove successful.