HIGHWAYS bosses have changed their plans to replace the park and ride at Matford.
The park and ride, which has spaces for 700 cars and is over capacity, was to have been replaced by a new 1,000- space park and ride as part of the Teignbridge development on the south west edge of Exeter.
But now Matford will remain and, instead of the park and ride on Teignbridge land, a 600-space facility is being proposed for the Ide/Alphington interchange to provide extra capacity.
This is a scaled down version of a 820-space park and ride at the interchange which created much opposition from those who did not want the facility built on part of what is the Alphin Brook conservation area.
Devon county council has earmarked £100,000 for further design work on the Ide scheme.
A Devon County Council spokesman said: "The original plan was for development at South West Exeter to include a 1,000 space Park and Ride, which would have replaced the existing site at Matford. "However, Matford is operating at capacity and further parking capacity is needed.
"Matford park and ride will remain where it is, with further capacity potentially being provided at Alphington park and ride.
"In the same way that the park and rides at Honiton Road and Sowton serve the north and east of the county, the Matford and Alphington sites would jointly serve communities living south or west of Exeter."
However two local councillors have doubts about the merits of the park and ride at the Ide Interchange.
Cowick and Alphington county councillor, Roy Hill said: "I have great reservations about it. It is a conservation area and I worry that traffic going into and out of the park and ride would case traffic to back up on the A30."
Cllr Rob Hannaford, county councillor for St Thomas and Exwick, said: "I am very concerned that we have only recently had a report on the strategic transport plan for Exeter and elected members were not told about this.
"I am not convinced that this is the right location for a park and ride."
Regarding the Ide interchange the county council spokesman added: "The county council is commissioning further environmental assessment work, together with cost and economic evaluation, to ensure the scheme represents good value for money.
"We are also reviewing the scale of the park and ride, noting previous concerns about the footprint and environmental impacts of the development, with work due to start this financial year.
"The location of the site is identified in the emerging Local Plan Delivery Development DPD, which Exeter City Council is currently progressing.
"If the site gets formally allocated it will provide greater certainty that the park and ride fits within the overall development and economic plan for the city."
The county council has submitted the scheme to the Department for Transport in a bid for funding.
If successful, funding would potentially be drawn down from 2016/17.
