Congestion worsens in Tavistock as housing growth and roadworks choke main routes

Traffic congestion around Tavistock is leaving residents increasingly frustrated, with many blaming a combination of roadworks, new housing developments and a lack of long-term planning.

Some locals say Tavistock’s roads were never designed to cope with the volume of traffic now passing through.

One resident said: “Tavistock’s infrastructure was not designed for this amount of development around the town.”

Another added: “Infrastructure before houses. No more house building until roads, health services, a train station and schools are provided to service the increase in population.”

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Several people have suggested that a bypass could be the only solution to keep traffic moving, although concerns remain about the environmental impact on Tavistock’s natural beauty.

“In reality Tavistock needs a ring road or bypass,” one local argued. “But without proper infrastructure, by which I don’t just mean roads, extra housing will cause worsening congestion. Coupled with the imaginary train link that will never become a reality, new housing really will be detrimental to the town and quality of life.”

Beyond traffic, residents are worried about the wider strain new estates place on local services.

They point to overstretched doctors and dentists, limited public transport, a lack of affordable shops and insufficient facilities for young people and older residents.

“The town is slowly suffocating,” said one local. “Unaffordable properties are being built, surgeries are overwhelmed, and flooding issues are only going to get worse with more building.”

For now, traffic queues and disruption are a daily reality.

But many in Tavistock believe the bigger challenge lies ahead, how to balance housing growth with the infrastructure and services needed to keep the town moving and thriving.