Public meeting this lunchtime after part of the A379 washes into the sea
The meeting will look at the future of the Slapton Line and give an update on the repairs
A public meeting's been called for this lunchtime to see what can be done after part of the A379 Slapton Line was washed into the sea.
The Government's being asked to help fund the millions of pounds to repair it, after money was also spent on a protection scheme back in 2018.
Today's meeting is a Stokenham Parish Hall from 11am until 1230pm, hosted by South Devon's MP Caroline Voaden.
She said: "I am eager to hear your views on the future of the line and I will also be updating you on my work since its collapse."
She describes the current situation as 'difficult for many', reflecting: "I want to commend the work of the community in pulling together."
A video of the South Devon MP speaking in Parliament about the situation can be found here
Repairs were already underway after storm damage last week, but now further wild weather conditions have dealt a hammer blow to the road.
Nearby homes have also taken another battering from the waves and sustained more damage, while some believe the concrete walk-way between those properties and the existing sea defences could also be undermined – albeit that hasn’t been confirmed officially.
The vital road, which links Torcross and other nearby villages to the likes of Strete, Stoke Fleming and Dartmouth, has seen one section entirely washed away, with no tarmac left across the width of the road.
That has left the car park that acts as the home to the General Sherman tank open to damage from the waves.
Kim Willis, a resident who lives close to Torcross near Stokenham, said she was surprised at the lack of official presence at the road.
“There were a few highways people there, and some of the Landmarc vehicles, but beyond that, it was residents who are devastated as it’s worse than before,” she said.
“At the section nearest the pub and houses, it is just the car park now and the waves are eating into it, so it’s going to take a lot of funding to fix the road.
“I do feel as though if it was London, or almost anywhere else in the country, though, that there would be a massive response, almost to the point where the army would be down there, but we’re left to get on with it.
“It’s a sorry state of affairs.”
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said the repair effort that had already been underway had been constrained by the weather.
“The workers said they have been restricted in terms of what they can do as they don’t have enough opportunity at low tide to move all the new rock armour into place, so I don’t think they have had a chance to shore up the bit that was initially broken,” he said.
“And they are expecting the weather to get worse tonight because of a higher tide.”
The resident, who has experience as a surveyor, said he believed the concrete walkway between the properties at Torcross and the beach had also been compromised.
“It sits behind the existing sea defences but I think it has dropped by about 20mm-40mm, and when a big wave hits it, it feels like the concrete walkway shudders,” he said.
“I think all that has been undermined, and some of the houses look in a very sorry state indeed.”
Councillor Laurel Lawford (Liberal Democrat, Allington and Strete) said the damage was “really, really bad”.
“It has gone all the way back to the car park, through the grass verge,” she said.
“I’ve spoken to someone who has sent their drone over and they estimate there is approximately 300 metres of damage to the line.
“It’s very bad, and the drop down to the beach from the destroyed road is about 15 feet deep, I would guess. It’s an absolute mess – the car park is damaged and there is more damage to the properties along the front too.”
The blow for the community comes just a week after damage initially caused the road to shut.
Devon County Council began efforts to clear the Line from debris, and to place boulders near the damaged section to help support it while longer term repairs could be enacted.
But the efforts seem to have been overtaken by events, with the road now impassable.
In 2001, a significant section of the road was washed away, leaving the Line closed for around 12 months while the stretch was reconstructed further inland.
What else is going on?
A Devon MP has opposed fiercely Government proposals to water-down important and established protections against flooding in national planning guidance.
Richard Foord, MP for the Honiton & Sidmouth constituency, condemned the proposals that are being consulted on by the Government, as part of changes to the National Planning Policy Framework.
Mr Foord has written to Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook, describing the proposed changes as “utter madness.” Mr Foord told Mr Pennycook in a letter dated 4 February, that he was writing to object to the proposals, in the strongest possible terms.
Mr Foord referred to Storm Chandra, which left a trail of destruction in its wake last week. Foord informed the minister of the damage caused, including the consequences for residents of the River Otter reaching its highest ever recorded level. He pointed to Tipton St John Primary School, as well as local businesses and residential properties across East and Mid Devon.
He said: “We have had the “sequential test” for almost two decades, which has been at the heart of flood risk management in planning. Its purpose is to direct new development towards areas with the lowest probability of flooding.”
Despite the existence of that test, the house insurer, Aviva, states that since 2013/14, over 100,000 homes were built in national floodzone 3 – locations at highest risk of flooding.
Mr Foord added: “It would be utter madness to worsen this policy, which already falls short – particularly given that climate change will mean that the risk of flooding will become ever more widespread.
“The very high levels of housing proposed by this government has also exacerbated the risk of communities being flooded, and contributed to councils being placed under unreasonable pressure to grant planning consent in inappropriate areas.
“The Environment Agency is expert in mitigating flood risk and has updated its flood map for planning, significantly expanding the number of areas now classified as at risk from surface water flooding.
The long-established precautionary principle in relation to flooding is at risk of being swept away if this weakened policy approach is adopted.
Mr Foord urged Mr Pennycook to “reconsider these proposals and instead, strengthen the flood-risk precautionary principle, to help protect the constituents who I represent, and citizens across the country.”