Anger over Newton Abbot ‘new town’ sewerage delay

The prospect of hundreds of new homes on the outskirts of Newton Abbot could be held up for years by delays in building a new sewerage system.

South West Water (SWW) says the existing foul sewerage system in the Wolborough area can’t support the homes planned for the controversial ‘NA3’ new town development.

The proposals are for 1,200 new properties, along with roads, open spaces and community facilities.

But SWW says it could take until 2030 to upgrade the system, with an additional 18 months for completion.

Newton Abbot’s Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley believes the delay could halt housing approvals in the area for the next five years.

And, he said, he is alarmed at the lack of communication between developers and utility companies on new housing estates.

He added: “I have had to directly intervene in the Hele Park development to ensure the pumping station was working effectively.

“With the Labour government proposing 1.5 million new homes, this target seems unrealistic if developers and SWW can’t align their efforts better. Liberal Democrats believe that local authorities should have greater powers to build their own homes and hold developers to account.”

He said developers were failing to prioritise essential infrastructure, which raised questions about their commitment to community welfare.

He went on: “As applications for new developments continue to flood in, the spotlight remains firmly on the developers to address these critical issues.”

A spokesperson for SWW said it had carried out detailed investigations on its network to provide feedback to Teignbridge Council on the proposed plans at Wolborough.

The spokesman added: “We will work with the council and developer to further understand their plans and any new timeframes, and align any investment with the needs of the development growth.”