WEST Devon Borough Council has agreed to go head to head with Devon County Council and fight for a relief road to ease traffic congestion in Okehampton, despite warnings of huge cost implications.

The highway authority is convinced a new link road to the town centre is not the answer but the borough council will try to prove otherwise when the issue goes before an inquiry later in the year as part of the new district

local plan.

At a meeting in Okehampton this week councillors were told the cost of employing consultants to fight the case could be in excess of £35,000 and even if they won the argument, there was no money available to construct the road.

But they voted against taking the 'fairly neutral stance', recommended by officers, in favour of the option preferred by the local plan working group to disagree with the highway authority.

The move is expected to be welcomed by the significant number of objectors to the local plan who were concerned about the impact of increased traffic from 800 new homes planned for Okehampton. They will also have a chance to put their views forward at the inquiry.

Okehampton ward member Cllr Jayne Hill said money was not the issue here: 'Every time money is mentioned we, as a council, are expected to roll over and say we cannot afford it,' she said. 'If we have to spend money, so be it — that is part of democracy.'

She said the emphasis would be on the county to prove a road was not needed and at this stage the borough had decided not to employ consultants.

'Hopefully, we will shame Devon County Council into admitting they need to look at the traffic situation in Okehampton with a fresh eye,' she added.

A mix of measures is favoured by the county council, including traffic management, improved public transport and the provision of public footpaths and cycle routes to encourage a shift away from the car.

Cllr Hill said the highway authority view that Okehampton did not have a traffic problem was 'the biggest joke this century'.

'They are really digging their heels in over this one but we should bite the bullet and come out and say an alternative route is absolutely necessary,' she said.

'Some mornings the traffic through town is backed up to the Exeter Road Industrial Estate.

'The new development at Laburnum alone will create an additional 150 cars on the road.'

Head of planning and development Stephen Gill warned councillors against employing expensive consultants as they would not win the battle.

'Even if we won the argument, finding the money for a relief road is a problem,' he said. 'If the highways authority maintain their stance we cannot expect them to contribute and there is already significant demands on developers' funds for a new primary school and affordable housing.'