DEVON County Council (DCC) has said it hopes to start work on the next phase of improvements to a Newton Abbot road in the new year, as it awaits the outcome of a Department for Transport spending review.

The change of government in July saw the next phase of work to the A382 delayed, as the bulk of the funding had to be signed off by central government.

‘The project is partially funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) along with local contributions from Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council’ a spokesman for DCC said.

‘Following the general election and change in Government, the Secretary of State for Transport issued a statement on July 30 that the DfT is carrying out a spending review.

‘We are awaiting the outcome of that review and final sign off of the DfT funding, but we maintain our aim to start work in the new year’ the spokesman added.