Approval granted for Plymouth and South Devon Freeport infrastructure

Devon County Council's cabinet has given the go ahead to improve links to a new employment development at Langage, a key part of the Plymouth and South Devon (PASD) Freeport.

Councillors have approved the delivery of a two-phase spine road, which extends the existing Kingsway road, and a multi-use bridge across the A38 Deep Lane Junction, which will connect the new community of Sherford to the growing development.

PASD Freeport is one of 12 designated by government and is a partnership between Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council, Devon County Council, and the private sector. It aims to create more than 3,500 jobs, predominantly across key engineering and manufacturing sectors.

Currently, the Kingsway road stops just south of the Langage Power Station on the eastern side of the Langage Business Park. Phase one will focus on extending the road so it serves the Langage customs and tax site. Work is expected to begin in November with completion the following spring.

Phase two will be a continuation of the first phase, with a planning application expected to be submitted in September. The delivery of the section of the spine road is expected to be in 2027, while work on the bridge is expected to start in December.

The delivery of the infrastructure, as well as improvements to the Sandy Road/Holland Road roundabout, is being funded by £9.619m from the government as part of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport seed capital programme and up to £14.289m of borrowing by the council, which was approved at full council in February.

Stuart Hughes, cabinet member for highway management, said: “I welcome the proposed infrastructure to support the Freeport, which will bring new jobs to the area. The new bridge across the A38 is much needed to support active travel at an early stage in the expansion of homes and jobs on Plymouth’s urban fringe."

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Councillor Andrea Davis, cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, added: “The Freeport’s vision is to create thousands of high-quality jobs while acting as an exemplar to achieve net zero ahead of 2050. This new bridge supports that vision through the decarbonisation of transport by improving active travel options for short to medium distance journeys in the local area.”

The schemes for the spine road and bridge will go out to tender subject to the resolution of legal and land assembly agreements and planning consents, the local authority said.