Storm-hit coastal road in beauty spot washes away

A section of coastal road in a beauty spot has washed away after being battered by storms.

Part of the A379 between Torcross and Slapton, Devon, broke apart overnight after sea defences protecting the road were damaged in storms last month. The Start Bay Inn in Torcross said on Facebook it was "a mess, like a bomb has gone off".

Dan Thomas, cabinet member for highways at Devon County Council, said: "A section of the road has washed away from constant battering due to the wind and weather."

The government said it knew road damage would be a "big shock", and it would work with the county council while the authority determined what to do next.

The scenic road, between a freshwater lake on one side and the sea on the other, forms part of a key route connecting Torcross with Dartmouth.

During World War Two, the area was used by US forces rehearsing for the D-Day landings.

Thomas said engineers were at the scene assessing the damage but the section that had fallen away had been steel-reinforced.

"It's going to take some time to work out how much is gone and what we can do," he said.

He added it was "really bad for the people of that area - a real shock and something we're going to have to resolve".

"We have looked after that road but it hasn't made any difference because of the sheer might of Mother Nature, I'm afraid," he said.

"It is a road that is incredibly exposed in a challenging location.

"It's one where we're going to need significant government help to resolve."

Rob Richards, deputy director for infrastructure at the county council, said the area had lost a lot of sand over the preceding months and years, which had made the road more exposed.

He said bad weather had led to more erosion, with each tide "nibbling away" at the car park and road.

Richards added engineers were doing what they could to help the situation, including putting large pieces of granite to shore up the area.

"It's a race against time before the next tide comes in," he said.

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Prior to the road washing away, residents had expressed fears about a long crack that had opened up along the seafront.

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

In its post on Facebook, the Start Bay Inn said the road to the pub was now "filled with debris" and not accessible by car.

Oli Rowdon, 18, who was staying with his girlfriend in Torcross, said: "The waves coming over the houses made it feel like it was raining - our house was shaking - stuff was falling off the shelves.

"A lot of people here are worried."

He said easterly winds overnight and damaged sea defences meant waves were "just smashing the wall".

"The road has gone into the car park," he said.

Lizzy Mooney, who lives above the Start Bay Inn, said the sea had been relentless over the past few weeks.

She said: "The sea has been pounding us from underneath and over the top.

"It's been really hard. It's really, really unsettling - it's really discombobulating.

"I've been part of the community here since I was 15 and it just rocks your life."

Julie Shaw's home was damaged as waves crashed into the road and properties.

She said the waves were making buildings "shake violently" and some went over the houses.

Shaw said she had never seen anything like it during her time living in the area.

"It's just carnage down here, it's absolutely decimated the area," she added.

Shaw said she was unsure if she would be able to stay in her home due to the damage.

She said there was an "overriding feeling of sadness" in the village and people were "desperate for help".

"The support from the villagers has been incredible and there's lots of love down here," Shaw said.

"But it doesn't solve the problem. We need help from all the right people - please get them down here."

Pete Moore, the director of Forest and Beach School, at nearby Beesands, said the closure of the road would have a big impact.

"It does feel like long-term there are going to be big changes down this way," he said.

"It feels like a Hallsands moment [where landslides and coastal erosion have affected properties in a Devon village].

"Suddenly it feels like, 'Crikey... it's gone up a big notch' and that's a concern for people living down there."

Caroline Voaden, Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, said: "This is the news that we've all been dreading.

"The pictures coming out of the A379 Slapton Line are absolutely devastating."

She said "significant help" was needed from the government to get the road fixed.

Julian Brazil, the leader of Devon County Council, said: "The sea has gone in behind the steel piling and just scoured out a massive area.

"It's particularly devastating for the local community and the way it's going to affect people's livelihoods."

He said it would cost the county council "a lot of money" to fix on its own.

"If we don't get any money from government, we are stuck," he said.

The government said it knew the storm damage to the A379 would be a "big shock" to residents and said it would work with the county council while the authority determined its next steps.

A spokesperson said: "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."

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