The funding application for a West Devon Transport Hub has been delayed as the Government pulled back the deadline for Levelling Up Fund bids.

The bid proposed by West Devon Borough Council and Devon County Council would see a second Okehampton station built along with new transport facilities for bus users, cyclists and walkers. It was due to be handed in by July 6, but the Government has now pushed back the date.

As yet, the Government has not announced a new deadline but those familiar with the situation said it will be a least two weeks later, meaning the date would be late July at the earliest.

West Devon Borough Councillor Tony Leech, said: ‘The council are ready to submit it but we’re not sure when the new deadline is. One of the things I am trying to get included is community transport in the transport hub. It will make it easier to access the town and will also promote all other forms of transport.’

This will be the second bid that the borough council has put forward to secure Levelling Up funding for the proposed Okehampton Parkway station which was rejected earlier this year on the grounds that the bid did not take account of any other forms of transport that would benefit from the funding.

The revised application, which will be entered into the second round of Levelling Up funding, proposes a new station on the east side of Okehampton which will include two platforms, passenger lift, a strengthened active travel cycle and walking offer, bus interchange, car park, charging for electric vehicles and a social wellbeing space, all of which would be wheelchair and pram-accessible. Network Rail and GWR are also investigating the possibility of 4G connectivity on the railway service though this will not be part of the bid.

The aim of the project is to improve upon the new Okehampton-Exeter train service and provide better links to the west and north of the county up to Holsworthy and Hatherleigh and parts of North Cornwall.

The borough council has estimated that the project will cost in the region of £12-13 million and Devon County Council have already ring-fenced £1.2 million to cover 10% of the project funds, required by the terms of the Levelling Up scheme.West Devon Borough Council agreed late last month that it would also put £120,000 towards the project.

Okehampton Station re-opened for the first time in nearly 50 years last year and has proven to be a great success with Network Rail staff saying that it had massively exceeded expectations.Passenger numbers have been double expectations when the line re-opened in November with more than 50,000 journeys undertaken in the first 20 weeks.

In May the Okehampton-Exeter service was increased to an hourly service and Okehampton station managers are also working on extra refurbishments to the station which will include re-opening the platform cafe and building an undercover waiting area.