Exmouth will receive £15.7 million from the government’s Levelling Up Fund to extend Dinan Way.

The multi-million-pound funding will deliver the Dinan Way road extension, which is believed to 'improve journeys and cut congestion in Exmouth and the wider East Devon area.'

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP, announced that the bid submitted by Devon County Council was successful and will receive the full amount requested.

Dinan Way currently forms a partial ring road around Exmouth. It lacks a final connection to the A376. Traffic from Dinan Way must use unsuitable residential roads to access the A376 main road to Exeter and the M5. Goods vehicles accessing the Liverton Business Park, surrounding employment and retail area and the road to Budleigh Salterton are signed to travel through central Exmouth. The Dinan Way extension, which already has planning permission, will provide that final road connection.

The government funding will also deliver regeneration around Exmouth train station. This will include improvements to pedestrian access to the town centre, the infilling of the underpass and greening of the area, and better connectivity for cycle ways to the Exe Estuary.

The successful bid was a team effort involving East Devon MP, Simon Jupp, Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council.

Simon Jupp, MP for East Devon, said; “This is excellent news for Exmouth and I’m really looking forward to seeing spades in the ground as quickly as possible. This new multi-million-pound investment will improve journeys in Exmouth, improve air quality, and help spruce up the area around the train station. I would like to thank the councils who worked together to develop the plans and the Conservative government who backed our bid. The news comes after exciting plans to deliver a new state-of-the-art police station in Exmouth were confirmed last year. I will continue to do what I can to help make East Devon an even better place to live, work, and visit.”

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “This is brilliant news for the people of Exmouth and a boost to the town’s regeneration. It will not only enable Devon County Council to complete the Dinan Way link road which will reduce traffic going through the centre, but also fund improved walking and cycling routes, and bus services to Exeter. A big thank you goes to Simon Jupp, the Member of Parliament for East Devon, who has worked tirelessly to support this project. I want also to thank the team at Devon County Council who put such a compelling bid together.”