Does North Devon have sustainable transport solutions?

Sustainable transport is a term used to explain the different modes of transport that are low-carbon producing and positively impact the communities with social and environmental gains. 

The main sustainable transport choices for North Devon are bicycles, buses and trains. 

For the district of Torridge, the forms of sustainable transport are even less as the area lacks any rail system.

Some of you might say “but don’t trains and buses produce emissions?”

Yes, these forms of mass transport do make carbon emissions, however, if the service is used to capacity, they do carry the public far more efficiently and that is positive for our environment.

Which is better, a road with 200 cars or 200 members of the public on one frequent public transport service?

ABOVE: Barnstaple Railway Bridge in the 1970s (Image: Lamberhurst) 

Recently, Devon County Council (DCC) and Stagecoach successfully secured a joint bid to Central Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme. 

This will mean the current Stagecoach operated 21/21A bus fleet that serve Bideford, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe will be replaced with zero emission electric buses in 2026 – another step towards decarbonising Northern Devon’s public transport. 

A new bus priority lane is proposed in Barnstaple along the Braunton road which will enable faster journey times and allow the buses to simply flow through the traffic congestion. 

Our North Devon railway operator Great Western Railway has similar decarbonising ambitions and plans to phase out diesel-only fleet by 2040.

Let’s look at the most sustainable mode of transport: the bicycle that also belongs to the ‘active travel’ group term. 

The Tarka trail is very popular with the active travel community; walkers and cyclists have been loving the reused old railway track from Ilfracombe to Barnstaple but it does disappear in distinct places. 

One place is in Barnstaple where unfortunately, the beautiful, iconic, curved-iron railway bridge was scrapped in the late 1970’s and sadly this missing asset challenges tourists to find how to get back onto the Tarka trail to Fremington, Instow, Bideford, Torrington and Meeth (without some way finding). 

Another place the trail is lost is near Braunton; an area called Willingcott to Knowle. 

This area has been part of local campaigning for 19 years; many had wanted to see the completion of the Ilfracombe to Braunton stretch of the Tarka trail. 

Recently, DCC successfully applied for active travel funding from the government and construction work has now commenced on this stretch!

Anyone who uses the North Devon line is welcomed on arrival to Barnstaple railway station to see bus stops that have connecting buses to Lynton, Ilfracombe and Combe Martin. 

As well as the bus services, this station has a bicycle hire service that gives the station its sustainable modal shift.

So, bicycle, train and bus are North Devon’s sustainable transport choices and we all need to see further work in improved infrastructure be it a bicycle lane, bus lane or rail link.

What is not sustainable is new housing developments with no cycle lanes, no bus stops or road capacity for buses. 

When Roundswell (in the Barnstaple and Fremington area), was developed, the planners made a large active travel corridor with segmented walkway and cycleway. 

Looking in other areas, where is the active travel route for areas like Landkey to Barnstaple?

Sustainable transport systems can work in parallel. 

Anyone who has been to Exmouth will know that a fantastic Exe Trail runs next to the Avocet line all the way to Exeter and links all the communities along the route to this system. 

The Granite Way from Okehampton to Meldon largely follows the same-style system. 

North Devon and Torridge have declared a climate emergency, what viable sustainable transport systems can be constructed to achieve that climate goal?