Collapsed coastal road is 'catastrophic' to village
BBCPeople living near a scenic coastal road that broke up and washed into the sea during stormy weather say its loss is "catastrophic".
Parts of the A379 between Torcross and Slapton, Devon, broke apart last week after sea defences were damaged in recent storms.
The road, which has been described by local residents as "vital", could remain shut until 2027, it emerged last week, with calls for government funding to rebuild it.
Resident Steve Kilpatrick told BBC Radio Devon's John Acres, who has been in Torcross talking to residents, it was "so, so important, that road, for the economy". Previously, the government said it would work with the county council while it decided what to do next.
Cathy Sanders, landlady of the Tradesmans Arms in nearby Stokenham, told BBC Radio Devon if this had happened on a road next to the River Thames in London it would have already been rebuilt.
"We do need something immediately," she said.
Work to "shore up" the road has already cost about £100,000, Devon County Council has said.
Sanders said the pub trade was 80% down and visitors thought businesses in the area were closed.
"We are still here and still open for business," she added. "Long-term, we need the road back."
Matt Searle, who lives right next to the A379 in Torcross, said the "strength" of the recent storms was the worst he had ever seen.
"I've lived in and around Torcross the whole of my life. The last two weeks has been unprecedented," he said.
"Waves land on my roof when it's severe. My main problems are the sewage back-up with all the water and the shingle.
"That floods into my patio and that's happened four times now in the last two weeks.
"The house shakes quite violently, in the storms especially."
He added: "It's quite scary. Monday, the second storm we had, I was in my house and it was the first time I felt unsafe sleeping in my house because I literally thought that the roof would collapse."
Torcross resident, Steve Kilpatrick, lives down the side of the Ley.
His home was not affected by storm damage but said residents who were affected were "in pieces".
Kilpatrick and his son both work in Dartmouth and use the road regularly.
"The road is so important, tourism, safety. If I need an ambulance or a fire engine, I'm probably in trouble," he said.
"It is so beautiful, you drive from Strete to here. It is one of the most beautiful coastline roads.
"That road not being there, is catastrophic," he added.
Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon, said she would "fight as hard as I can to get government funding".
She said the road was used by people in Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, and further afield.
"It brings in thousands and thousands of tourists every year because it's so spectacular," she said.
"This is the kind of event that the local council cannot be expected to pay for, it just doesn't have the funds," she said.
"This is an emergency situation.
"We know that the government does put its hand in its pocket when areas are flooding, when storms hit. Now it's south Devon's turn."
It comes as investigations are under way by the Environment Agency (EA) after the Torcross sea defences "showed signs of movement" before the road washed away.
Residents had described being "really worried", after a crack opened up "right along the seafront" after recent storms.
The EA said the seawall in front of the residential properties in Torcross had been inspected but that it was "not concerned about the current stability of the flood defence", adding it had commissioned a detailed survey "as a priority".
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