Planning permission has been given for the Turf to Powderham section of the Exe Estuary Cycle Way. The new path will also include a bridge over the railway, roughly where the current pedestrian crossing point is, writes Alan Connett. 

The final finish and appearance of the bridge has yet to be confirmed and Devon County Council has agreed that the chaid of the Powderham Parish Meeting and the locoal county councillor will be consulted as part of the process.

There’s also to be a traffic management scheme for the ‘avenue’ running towards St Clement’s Church and an improved traffic calming scheme along Estuary Road as part of the overall package, in support of the cycle path. 

Local phone boxes in Teignbridge have won a reprieve from closure and removal after objections from residents, local parish and town councils and Teignbridge Council.Many of the 32 phone boxes which have been given a new, but temporary, lease of life, serve rural areas and the news will be a boost to many local communities.BT has told Teignbridge Council that the 32 phone boxes it objected to the company removing would be retained ‘for the time being’ – but a new consultation round will need to be gone through before any can be taken away in the future the council understands, says local councillor Alan Connett.Kenton with Starcross ward would have been left with no public call box after BT planned to take away the facility in Kenton, Starcross, Mamhead and Ashcombe.Now the four are safe, along with 28 others, including Shillingford Abbot, Dunchideock, Cockwood, Doddiscombsleigh, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Longdown and Newton Abbot.The three phone boxes in Kenton, Mamhead and Cockwood may also be listed for their architectural merit by English heritage. Application was made after Teignbridge Council considered the boxes, along with one in Coffinswell, met the strict criteria set down by the conservation body, added Cllr Connett.He said:” Teignbridge consulted town and parish councils before responding to BT to object to these phone boxes being removed. The threat hasn’t gone away completely but, for the time being at least, we have been able to hold onto these important local services, especially in rural areas.”