WEST Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett is calling on people to get involved in a major bid to solve traffic congestion in Okehampton.
Mr Burnett said he had been ?inundated? with letters from businesses, councillors and individuals about the need for a relief road and a bus and coach depot.
He said: ?There are real problems in the town with traffic congestion. These were predicted when the planning consents were given for the various supermarkets.
?I have written to the county council, asking about the possibility of a relief road along Oaklands Drive, bridging over to the industrial estates.
?But what I don?t want is surreptitious, behind the scenes discussions by officials, because it?s important for the town, and everyone should have their say.?
He said priorities during any consultation on a relief road scheme should be safety, particularly for school children, negative impact on residential areas, protection of the environment and of the allotments.
?This would be a major change for the town and everyone?s views should be heard. I am happy for people to write and give me their views ? my own perception is there has to be a solution to these growing problems.
?It?s early days, but long before we get to the planning stage there must be a public presentation ? it?s the idea itself that needs to be debated.?
Mr Burnett said he was due to meet the county council?s environment director on January 6, when he would impress upon him the need to find answers to Okehampton?s traffic congestion.
David Incoll, chief executive at West Devon Borough Council, agreed an alternative road was needed.
He said: ?We are not talking about a bypass or dual-carriageway. Many towns have successfully added a local road that local people can use to avoid the traffic.
?The town is doing well, the shops are doing well and traffic, whether we like it or not, is almost a barometer of activity, and we want to give people an easier journey.?
Mr Incoll said there were no ?lines on a map? at this stage, but agreed use of Oaklands Drive, with a bridge over the river linking to the eastern end of the town, could be a solution.
He said an alternative route was included within the local plan.
?We are not saying it?s got to happen this year, but certainly I think within three years the need is going to be greater than it is now,? he said.
The borough council was urgently seeking land to create a coach park and had approached several landowners, so far without success, he added.
Christine Marsh, mayor of Okehampton, said a relief road was ?very
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