South West Water will be replacing the screen in the combined sewer outfall near 14 Home Close, Chillington, between 7.30 am on Monday 23 March and 5pm on Tuesday 24 March. Deliveries of material and equipment are expected to lead to some traffic disruption in the area during the period of work, which may cause knock-on effects on the A379 through Chillington.
This year’s Annual Parish Meeting will – exceptionally – be a ticket-only event: we have had to introduce this step to prevent overcrowding issues in the hall, as we anticipate a great number of parishioners will want to hear our guest speaker Gerd Masselink’s take on what’s really going on with the movement of shingle in Start Bay. The good news is that tickets are FREE, and you can get yours now by simply clicking on the DIARY OF EVENTS tab on the Parish Council website (www.stokenham-pc.gov.uk/events). Find the 31 March entry for the Annual Parish Meeting and a box will appear that says GET TICKETS – simply click on this and enter the number of tickets you want. Your requested tickets will be emailed to you, and you can either print them out to bring to the event, or show the tickets on your phone at the door.
As noted above, we expect the meeting to be full: once all the tickets have been “sold” we will be unable to issue any more. Tickets are available to order from today, so don’t delay in getting yours! And please don’t request any more tickets than you need, as this will prevent someone else from coming along.
Anyone who doesn’t have access to a computer or smart phone, or who is unable or prefers not to order online, can request a ticket from the Clerk or any parish councillor.
We are pleased to announce that Professor Gerd Masselink of Plymouth University will be the keynote speaker at this year’s APM, to be held on Tuesday 31 March at 6.30 pm in Stokenham Parish Hall.
Gerd is one of the world’s leading authorities on the geomorphology of the South Devon Coast, and knows all there is to know about the movement of shingle in Start Bay, so parishioners will want to get his take on recent events. Further details will be released in due course, but in the meantime save the date!
South Hams District Council has published an update on the 2026 Business Rate Revaluation which you can read here.
Owners of businesses in coastal communities that have been affected by recent storm damage, and businesses in the wider parish area that may be affected by the closure of the A379 road, should contact the Business Rates team at South Hams District Council to see if they are eligible for a discount on their business rates.
The Slapton Line Partnership met last week to hear situation reports from the statutory authorities and pleas for assistance from representatives of the affected communities in and around Start Bay. The minutes of the meeting have just been published and you can read them here.
Devon County engineers made an extraordinary discovery as they excavated the collapsed culvert in central Kingsbridge this week: several feet under the tarmac at the junction of Fore Street and Bridge Street they found what appears to be the original King’s Bridge over the brook that ran into the estuary, and from which the town took its name. The full story is here: TM kingsbridge leaflet 3 UPDATED POST TM CALL 260226.
Draft minutes of February’s Full Council meeting are now published and available here.
This excellent piece from the University of Plymouth’s Coastal Processes Research Group details the latest thinking on the impact of coastal erosion on Start Bay.
