Why is black foam coming loose from Dawlish's new sea wall?
The foam has now been reinserted, after we contacted Network Rail
Network Rail is being asked why a black foam is coming out of Dawlish's £80-million new sea wall - and getting into the sea.
Councillor Rosie Dawson said 'it's supposed to hold the wall slabs in place but isn't', warning: "I think it's really disheartening."
She added: "We have people that give up their time to go and litter pick the beach for microplastics and all sorts.
"I litter pick the beach three times a week and it's just really disheartening to see there's a huge amount coming down that will just crumble and just become fish food.
"I think they've replaced it with a grey putty type material but I think there's a couple of areas where that's also starting to come out. They need to look at the design, if the black stuff is still coming out - which we can see that it is - they need to be removing it.
"We can't be leaving it to essentially just litter the beach and the sea."
What has Network Rail said?
A spokesperson has confirmed work to push the 'joint-expansion material' back into place has been undertaken by a team on the ground after Hits Radio contacted them last week.
A spokesperson added: "We’re aware of reports that exposed black foam has been seen along some parts of the Dawlish sea wall.
"This material is joint expansion filler – a type of flexible foam that sits between sections of the wall. It’s commonly used to allow concrete structures to withstand things like temperature changes and pressure from waves as it can expand and contract while acting as a shock absorber.
“In coastal locations like the Dawlish seafront, storms and powerful waves can sometimes work this material loose. As soon as our team was made aware of the issue, engineers attended the locations that were reported to us and reinserted the foam into the joint.
“We’re currently looking at options for a longer-term solution to prevent instances where the joint expansion filler is dislodged from the wall.”
Why did Dawlish need a new sea wall?
There's more about the South West Rail Resilience programme here as MPs call for the final Phase five to get underway as they met the transport Secretary to discuss a comprehensive 'long term rail plan for the far South West'.
Last week a joint release from Devon and Cornwall's Labour MPs Luke Pollard, Anna Gelderd, Steve Race and Jayne Kirkham said: ""For too long, the far South West rail link has been left at the mercy of the elements. Storms Goretti and Ingrid reminded us that without a dedicated Strategic Rail Plan, our local economies and communities remain at risk. We are coming together to ensure that Devon and Cornwall have a reliable, resilient railway that serves our people regardless of the weather."