Better transport links remain vital

Poor connectivity undermines the prospects for our young, our communities and our economy in this rural part of England, says East Devon MP

TRANSPORT in the South West has faced its fair share of obstacles. As a Devon MP and a member of the Transport Select Committee, I know that first hand. The latest barrier, the High Court’s pause of the tunnel under Stonehenge, is only the most recent. Not only is it frustrating, but it threatens communities across the South West. Without a doubt, tackling congestion and its associated pollution is essential. However, even justified frustration risks obscuring the smaller, but no less damaging, connectivity issues facing the South West.

Devon is the third largest county in England and it is also one of the most sparsely populated. This has a knock-on effect on connectivity. The spread-out nature of our towns and villages makes the cost of providing services higher than in more densely populated areas. However, there are indirect costs to poor connectivity.

One key consequence is that young people, facing higher costs of getting around, move away. This results in the so-called ‘brain drain’ to the South East and London. For people in East Devon, the lack of access to public transport can make all the difference to staying or going. If their local bus or train services are not good enough, parents can be limited in where they can send their children. Without access to further or specialised educational opportunities for their kids or employment opportunities for themselves, some families will have no choice but to leave their homes and their communities.

The government is not blind to this challenge. The Okehampton line will also be brought back into service and the construction of Marsh Barton railway station is already underway. This will form an important part of the ‘Devon Metro’ plan, linking communities, businesses with opportunities that were formerly out of reach. I recently supported an application by Devon County Council to the Levelling Up fund to build the Dinan Way extension to improve traffic flow in and out of Exmouth and surrounding villages and plans to spruce up the area around Exmouth’s train station. I never miss an opportunity to push the importance of building the Whimple Loop to increase the frequency of services on the West of England Main Line which would undoubtedly help many communities in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and further afield.

Across East Devon, we have a selection of impressive community travel programmes to help people get out and about. These should be commended and it should be the ambition of local government and Westminster to support these initiatives as they are central to combatting the isolation experienced by our most rural communities. If people leave our communities, the areas themselves become less sustainable, especially considering the increase in second homes and the housing challenges across the region. That’s the argument I made at an event focused on levelling up and the rural economy hosted by the Onward think tank. I believe that part of the levelling up agenda means giving these communities the chance to thrive. And a first step would be to remove the barriers for people to stay in their communities. Transport plays a big part in this and improving transport connectivity should not be underestimated. I believe that it has the potential to realise the potential of rural areas, opening up opportunities for employment, education, tourism and investment.

While all of these things are possible, we need to keep in mind the value of alliances and working together. Boosting transport infrastructure and increasing connectivity is not a parochial concern. The problems faced in my constituency of East Devon will be similar to those faced across the county, as well as across parts of Cornwall and Somerset. Communities, MPs and local leaders need to work together to develop and push for these projects that will bring sustainable, shared benefits.

The South West has repeatedly struggled to speak with one voice. We must work harder together, cut the political posturing and seize the opportunities ahead. We’ll all regret it if we don’t.

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The restoration of regular passenger services on the Dartmoor Line from Okehampton will provide a link with Exeter and onward destinations