Washed away road repairs 'could cost £18m'

The cost of repairing a coastal road that was washed away in recent storms has been estimated to be about £18m, according to a council.

The A379 at Torcross, in Devon, was first damaged by Storm Ingrid but further sections have been lost in continuing wet and windy weather, with fears that even more could go.

The stretch of road broke apart overnight after sea defences protecting it were damaged in storms in January.

A government spokesperson said they knew "storm damage to the A379 is a big shock to residents in Devon, and we are working with Devon County Council as it determines its next steps".

Boulders have been put in place along the road by the county council in a bid to prevent more being destroyed by the sea.

The council, led by the Liberal Democrats, said previously it could not afford to fix the route without government support.

In a statement the council said: "Early estimates to rebuild the road are currently around £18m, but this figure does not include the cost of any sea defences.

"We are still gathering more detailed costs for several key aspects of work.

"This will continue over the coming weeks so that we can build an accurate picture for the Department for Transport and our partners."

While residents are not completely cut off by the road collapse, it means a long diversion for people going to and from Dartmouth.

South Devon Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden said: "No-one who has seen the damage to the A379 Slapton Line will be surprised by the millions required to fix it.

"It is now for the government to decide if they will fund the repairs or not. Which way they go will not only determine the future of the A379, but also signal how they intend to deal with coastal erosion more broadly.

"A refusal would send a chilling message for coastal communities around the country.

"It would confirm that a government happy to spend billions on Northern Powerhouse Rail is unwilling to step up support for communities on the front line of our fight against climate change."

The government added: "We are providing over £443m for roads maintenance in the area over the next four years, along with £667m across the UK into protecting communities from the sea."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Our officers and engineering specialists have inspected the seawall in front of residential properties in Torcross. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

"Due to recent storm damage to the nearby road, we have additional flood messaging in place to inform and reassure the community, should it be needed.

"We are working closely with local authorities to manage the sea defences at Torcross and support recovery of the community."

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