£100,000 travel scheme finally unlocked for Hele Park residents in Newton Abbot
More than a decade after the Hele Park homes were built, residents can now claim up to £200 each towards travel costs under a long-delayed funding agreement
Around £100,000 in vouchers meant for residents of a Devon housing estate have finally been delivered after the persistence of a local politician.
Councillor Jacqueline Fry (Reform UK, Newton Abbot North) said she had been pursuing the sustainable travel vouchers for Hele Park households for more than a year.
The vouchers, worth £200 per eligible household, were linked to an agreement with developer Taylor Wimpey when the homes were built in 2013.
The agreement, known as a Section 106, sets out the benefits and contributions developers must provide as part of planning permission being granted.
However, overstretched council planning departments can sometimes struggle to pursue the pledges set out in S106 agreements, while the involvement of multiple councils can also add bureaucracy.
In Hele Park’s case, Teignbridge District Council granted the planning application, while Devon County Council was responsible for handing out the sustainable travel vouchers that Cllr Fry had been chasing.
This week, Cllr Fry hand-delivered 20 vouchers to residents.
“Many expressed surprise that the vouchers were available at all and were grateful that the matter had been pursued on their behalf,” she said.
“The reaction from residents was overwhelmingly positive. Many were unaware they were entitled to a voucher, while others expressed genuine appreciation that somebody had taken the time to pursue the matter on their behalf.
“At £200 per household, some may view the vouchers as a modest benefit. However, across the whole development the value comes to just under £100,000. That is a significant sum intended for local people.
“The reality is that there is no guarantee these vouchers would have found their way into residents’ hands had nobody raised questions and pursued the agreement to its conclusion.
“Those who know me will understand that when it comes to serving residents, I can be rather like a Jack Russell with a bone. Once I know something is owed to the community, I do not let go easily.”
A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said the vouchers would work through reimbursement, meaning residents would have to make eligible purchases and then claim the money back.
“We apologise for the delay in making the sustainable travel funding available, which was caused by an administrative error in arranging the travel pack.
“Residents can now claim up to £200 towards a bus or rail season ticket, or the purchase of a bicycle, cycling equipment or walking equipment.
“We will reimburse all eligible claims from Hele Park residents, regardless of their ownership status or when they bought their property.”
While the S106 technically relates to the development’s initial residents, the housebuilder said it would honour eligible claims from all Hele Park residents.
Devon County Council said it had been working with Cllr Fry and Taylor Wimpey to get the vouchers produced and delivered to Hele Park residents.
It added that this was a joint responsibility between Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council, which is the planning authority.
The council said residents were entitled to spend £200 on items including bicycles, cycling equipment and public transport costs.
Cllr Fry added that during her work on Hele Park, she discovered a S106 agreement for land at Mile End in Newton Abbot had expired, meaning the sustainable travel vouchers in that agreement were no longer available.
“This raises important questions,” she said.
“How many Section 106 Agreements across Teignbridge and Devon have passed their expiry dates without all obligations being delivered?
“How much money, infrastructure or community benefit has potentially been lost to local residents?
“And what systems are in place to ensure this does not happen in the future?”