A £14.5m levelling-up fund bid for a cycle route between Newton Abbot and Torquay has now been submitted.

The South Devon Highway would include a new segregated route between Newton Abbot and Edginswell, a connection from there to Torbay Hospital, and a link between Kingskerswell and the Wolborough development including a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway at Langford Bridge. 

The bid for the government's levelling up fund cash was made jointly by Devon, Torbay, and Teignbridge councils.

Map showing how the proposed South Devon Highway, in dotted red, connects into current and planned cycle routes (TDC)

Teignbridge's Executive Member for Planning Cllr Gary Taylor (Lib Dem, Dawlish SW) said he was delighted that since advocating the scheme in May, the council had attracted such strong support and had been able to work jointly with Devon County Council and Torbay to submit the bid.

He said: "This is an excellent example of local authorities working together on a scheme that will bring numerous benefits to the area. 

"We hope that the active travel benefits that this scheme offers will attract the funding necessary to deliver it by 2025."

Anne Marie Morris, MP for Newton Abbot, said: "I very much welcome the proposed new cycleway which would provide much needed connectivity between part of the constituency and down into Torbay."

Teignbridge District Council has said that the cycleway could be implemented to meet the government's requirement for the funding to be used by 2025 as most of the proposed route is within existing highway land.

The government says it expects to decide which bids have been successful by the autumn.