A-road at Devon beauty spot washed into sea by storms

Part of an A road in a coastal beauty spot has collapsed and has been washed away into the sea after the area was battered by recent storms.

A section of the A379 Slapton Line connecting Torcross and Slapton in Devon broke apart overnight after sea defences were destroyed in last month’s storms.

The southern section of the road and sheet piling at Torcross suffered significant damage, with one lane collapsed on a section of around 200 metres, Devon County Council said.

Part of South Hams District Council’s Torcross Tank car park has also been lost, and properties in Torcross have been damaged, according to the local authority.

Photographs and videos from the scene show that sections of the road, which is situated between a lake and the coastline, and the car park have disappeared into the sea.

The owners of The Start Bay Inn at Torcross said on Facebook: “It’s a mess, like a bomb has gone off.⁣ The road to the pub on the Leyside is filled with debris and not drivable.”

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They added: “We are heartbroken.”

Devon South MP Caroline Voaden said on Tuesday morning: “The pictures coming out of the A379 Slapton Line are absolutely devastating. One of my team is on the ground now and said the force of the waves is shaking the road; it is terrifying.”

In an update, Ms Voaden added: “Work is underway at Torcross to move some of the boulders and the sheet piling after the devastation last night.

“Devon County Council, South Hams District Council and the Environment Agency are all assessing the damage on the ground.

“In Westminster, I have secured a meeting with the Department for Transport later today to discuss the situation further.”

Councillor Dan Thomas, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “We've been trying everything to try and protect this section of the road as best we can since Storm Ingrid, but sadly the ongoing challenging weather conditions have taken their toll.

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“Our teams are on site and we're working with partners to assess the situation and work out what our next steps will be. We'll certainly be doing everything possible to seek help from the Government.”

The local authorities had worked to divert traffic through the car park as an interim measure to get the A379 up and running again. However, the extent of the damage overnight meant that option was no longer possible.

Further investigations now need to be carried out on the full extent of the road between Torcross and Strete Gate, the county council said.

Three named storms – Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra – all brought downpours to many areas of the UK in January – particularly the South West – leading to flooding and widespread travel disruption.

The last time the road had been washed away in severe weather was during Storm Emma in March 2018, but it reopened later that year after an extensive repair scheme.