October draft minutes published
Draft minutes of October’s full council meeting are now published and available here.
Flood Alert, 25-26 October 2026
A flood alert has been issued by the Environment Agency.
Flood alert in force: South Devon coast from Start Point to Dawlish Warren
Flooding is possible for: Exposed east facing coastal locations including Hallsands, Beesands, Torcross, Slapton, Blackpool Sands, Brixham, Broadsands, Goodrington, Paignton, Hollicombe, Torquay, Oddicombe, Teignmouth Promenade and Dawlish
High tides, strong winds and large waves tomorrow may lead to flooding.
Flooding is possible 2 hours either side of high tide on Monday morning and Monday evening.
The high tide at Exmouth on Monday morning is at 06:24, times of high water will vary along the coast. Forecast total high tide level is 2.43mAOD, which is 0.4 metres above tide table level.
Strong force 6 Southerly winds and offshore wave heights of over 1m are forecast over the high tide.
High tide on Monday evening is at 18:44. Forecast total high tide level is 2.54mAOD, which is 0.42 metres above tide table level.
Strong force 6 South Westerly winds and offshore wave heights of over 1.5m are forecast.
Coastal conditions should ease for Tuesday morning’s high tide.
We are closely monitoring the situation.
Avoid coastal roads, footpaths and carparks, which may be flooded.
Torcross Defence Works – the latest from Kier
Kelly Cowling, Torcross Stakeholder Manager for Kier, writes:
Community Update
You may have noticed that activity at Torcross is now beginning to increase, with the tank car park occupied by the project team, hoarding erected, and materials and plant starting to arrive on site. I have been out and about, fielding questions from members of the community about the scheme and what to expect over the coming weeks. It is fantastic to see such a high level of interest in the project and to know that the local community is engaged and keen to see the works delivered successfully. We really appreciate everyone’s interest and support.
What to expect over the forthcoming weeks
As previously communicated, deliveries to site have now begin to increase as the works ramp up. The project team will be working to a vigorous programme, with a complex shift pattern designed to make the most of the available tides and maximise the time available to undertake the marine works. This means that, at times, the team will be working through the night. Lighting will be used where required, with lights positioned to face away from the shore to minimise their impact on the surrounding area.
The barge and two ships will be operating through to December to support the ongoing delivery and placement of rock subject to the weather conditions. This means there will be multiple opportunities over the coming months to see the works progressing and capture some great views of the project — always from a safe distance.
Enjoy from a distance
We are delighted to see the level of interest in the project and look forward to sharing updates as the works continue. While there will be plenty of activity to observe over the coming months, we kindly ask visitors to respect the working area and follow any safety signage in place. To protect both members of the public and those working on site, the beach will remain closed while construction activities are underway.
Capturing through your eyes
Our photographer will be capturing the official images of the works, but we would also love to see any photographs you take from the surrounding area — from a safe distance, of course. If you capture something you think the wider community would enjoy seeing, please do email them through to: stakeholderplo@kier.co.uk
Individual questions submitted
Thank you to those who have submitted a question, I am in the process of responding and should have all questions answered in the next few days. Have a question for the project team? contact us via Stakeholderplo@kier.co.uk alternatively you can visit https://www.slaptonline.org/torcross-urgent-works/
As the project progresses, we look forward to keeping you informed with regular updates, behind-the-scenes project photos and showcasing the wonderful social value activities programmed within the local community.
An update from the Slapton Line Partnership
With so much going on at the coast – from reinforcements to the sea defences at Torcross and Beesands, to the ongoing deliberations over the A379, to alterations to the coast path routes – people naturally have a lot of questions they would like answers to. The SLP team have helpfully put together a document that seeks to give definitive answers to these questions, at least in so far as there are answers at this point, and we thoroughly recommend you give it a few minutes of your time if you prefer facts to rumour and speculation: Slapton Line Questions and Answers.
How prepared are you for an emergency this winter?
Devon Emergency Planning Partnership (DEPP) has produced a set of simple, practical steps to ensure that householders are prepared for a wide range of emergencies that can affect our communities. You can read the guide here, get your emergency checklist here and download a handy PDF booklet here. We thoroughly recommend that all parishioners take a look!
Construction begins on £20m Torcross rock defence scheme
Work has begun on a £19.8 million project to protect Torcross from further damage after the devastating storms of January and February 2026. The Environment Agency scheme will see almost 90,000 tons of new rock armour placed on the shoreline frontage to better protect the Torcross community by reducing the energy of waves hitting the shore, and will also include reinstating the damaged defences at the car park and extending the slipway.
The project has now secured all necessary consents and licences from the Marine Management Organisation and the Local Planning Authority, following consultation with key stakeholders, including Natural England.
Boulders have already begun to arrive by road, and the first rock delivery by barge is expected next week, subject to weather conditions. Just under 60,000 tonnes of rock will arrive by sea with a further 30,000 tonnes of smaller material transported by road.
George Arnison, Environment Agency project lead, said:
We’re really pleased to have got to this critical point where we have the green light to start construction. I’d like to acknowledge the huge amount of work that’s gone into getting the project to this stage so quickly, much of which is invisible to the public.
I’d like to thank the team and all those who have been involved and supported the project, and the community for their patience over the last 7 months.
The project will be progressed at an accelerated pace with Kier Infrastructure appointed to deliver the vital engineering works.
Philip Ramsay, operations director, Kier Infrastructure, said:
The collaborative effort has ensured that we can now start construction in October.
Our teams will continue to work closely with the Environment Agency and local community to deliver a successful outcome that will protect Torcross for generations to come.
This announcement coincides with the Environment Agency’s Flood Action Week (12-18 October). The campaign urges people to check their flood risk, draft a flood plan, and sign up for flood warnings through the new Flood Action hub.
A new Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce has also been launched by the government to champion community voices and strengthen planning and response to extreme weather.
Following a wet winter and a historic summer drought – the driest July in nearly two centuries – the nation is now bracing for an intensified, wetter winter. The Environment Agency remains ready to respond to both ongoing drought conditions and any winter flooding incidents.
Background
- All rock shipments are scheduled between mid-October and early December 2026, with road deliveries continuing to the end of January 2027.
- Rock armour installation will happen between October 2026 and April 2027, with the slipway extension and car park sheet piling in spring 2027. The project is expected to complete, and the car park reopen, in early summer.
- These dates are indicative and may be subject to change due to weather and operational factors.
- The £19.8 million funding has been secured from within the Environment Agency’s existing Investment Programme budget, provided by Government through Defra. It is ring-fenced for flood and coastal defence and is separate from any funding related to the A379 road, which falls under the responsibility of Devon County Council as the Highways Authority.
- The site lies within the Slapton Ley Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the South Devon National Character Area, and close to the Skerries Banks and Surrounds Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ).
- The Environment Agency, Devon County Council and South Hams District Council are working collaboratively on the reinstatement of the car park defence as part of the scheme.
- Further detail on the Slapton Line Partnership: Torcross Urgent Works – Slapton Line Partnership
Have your say on Devon SEND services by 9am Tuesday 13 October
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are carrying out an inspection of services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Devon. This includes children who are waiting for a diagnosis or have SEN support in place, from early years settings through to post-16 providers.
As part of the inspection, inspectors want to hear from:
- Children and young people with SEND
- Parents and carers
The survey will only be open until 9am on Tuesday 13 October, so there are only a few days to share your views.
Take the survey here.
October Full Council Agenda published
The agenda for October’s Full Council meeting of Stokenham Parish Council is published and available here.
Apple Day, Apple Day – it’s just two weeks away!
Apple Day, one of the best-attended community events of the year, takes place a fortnight tomorrow, Saturday 17 October. On that day your trusty team of volunteers will, in time-honoured tradition, carefully set up Orchard Link’s largest oak apple press outside the village hall in Chillington, and go about their allotted task of pressing every spare apple in the parish into delicious juice (or, for those who have the skill and patience, a cider of rare delicacy) before the sun sets. Many of the apples will have come from one or more of the three community orchards in the parish, located in Beeson, Stokenham, and Chillington, gathered by schoolchildren or youth groups. Others will have been donated by generous orchard owners. Some will have arrived direct from village gardens in a plastic bag. All apples are welcome – all will be pressed, and there will be juice for everyone!
It’s been a funny old year in the orchard. Climate change has played havoc with temperatures, rainfall, and seasonality. Some trees have thrived while others have failed to produce a single fruit. Chillington Great Wood, normally a reliable source of apples to press, has had a very poor season, with over half the trees bearing little to no fruit at all. Beeson and Stokenham have done better, while a number of private orchard owners are reporting an excellent crop. A certain amount of variability is to be expected, the result of site microclimates and the range of varieties planted, but there will certainly not be as many apples as there were after last year’s bumper harvest.
All of which is a long way of saying: if you have any apples in your garden that you would like to have pressed, or if you fancy a morning or afternoon scrumping in one of the community orchards to gather a bag or two to bring along, then please do go ahead – the more, the merrier! Remember, apples to be pressed do not have to be perfect. Skin blemishes, a little bird peck or two, even a brown spot – all of these press well to give a delicious blend of juice. Come along on Saturday 17th – with or without apples – and try some yourself!
Local taxi fares consultation – make your views known!
South Hams District Council is responsible for setting the maximum taxi fares for Hackney Carriages (vehicles with a ‘TAXI’ roof sign that can use taxi ranks and be hired on the spot), to help ensure that taxi journeys remain fair, reasonable, and transparent for passengers, while also allowing drivers and operators to charge less if they choose to do so. Maximum fares provide a safeguard against excessive charging, help maintain public confidence in the licensed taxi trade, and create consistency for customers across the district.
When reviewing taxi fares, the Council seeks to balance the needs of passengers, who require an affordable and reliable service, with those of the taxi trade, who face increasing operating costs such as fuel, vehicle maintenance, insurance, and licensing requirements.
The Council is inviting residents, businesses, visitors, taxi drivers, operators, and other interested parties to have their say on the proposed maximum taxi fares. Please visit the consultation page via the link below to view the proposal and have your say: