February sees no let-up from winter storms
High spring tides, a metre of storm surge, and 40-45mph winds from the south-east took a further toll on our coastal settlements on the night of 2-3 February. In Torcross, a 50m section of the A379 road opposite the Tank car park has been washed away. Long-reach excavators have spent the day filling the newly created void with rock to shore up the remaining section of ridge as a short-term measure while engineers survey the rest of the road for damage. Further north, a 200m-long section of one carriageway has largely been lost to the waves.
Further inclement weather and high tides are forecast for tonight, 3 February, and particularly tomorrow, 4 February. Police and coastguard will be visiting both Torcross and Beesands over the period to allay any concerns.
After intervention from parish council, SHDC waste teams will be visiting Torcross on 4 February to organise clearance of flood- and storm-damaged household goods and furniture. Residents can contact the teams out of hours on 01803 861539 or 01803 867034.
At Beesands the sea has encroached to within 10m of the roadway in two locations and almost all of the gabion basket sea defences have been displaced like rolled-up carpets. The long-reach excavator is booked in for Beesands on 4 February, with the aim of recovering as much of the rock armour as possible from the foreshore to create a barrier around what remains of the village green. This will provide short-term relief while a more permanent solution is investigated.
Caroline Voaden MP will address a public meeting on Thursday at 11am in Stokenham Parish Hall to hear residents’ concerns and allow them to share their views.
Slapton Line – Latest update from Devon Highways
Agreement has been given to bring in 500t of Cornish Rock to try and build up some defence on the beach. There is a section between Torcross and the Memorial Carpark that has lost the protection of the footpath and has been slightly undermined, about a 200m length. We will try and protect this with the rock, however, it’s a temp fix, and if we reopen the road, this section will have to be placed under traffic lights.
There are a few other smaller sections like this, but not to the extent of the length.
The issue of the damaged sea defences is being looked at by the Structures Team, we are hoping that when the tide drops next week Landmarc can get their digger on to the beach and build a rock wall in front of the collapsed metalwork, to try and reduce the impact of the water on the area.
Following a meeting today with Structures, and the Materials Lab, it has been agreed that due to the road cracking in this location down the centre line, (due to the sub base being washed out), it is unsafe. We have therefore arranged with SHDCs agreement to remove a section of the bank bordering their carpark, to make a temporary entrance/exit into the area, initially for the rock trucks, to keep them off the weakened surface.
This will likely become a more permanent feature until any works to repair the sea defence is agreed. In the long term, we will liaise with SHDC as this will have to become a route for all A379 traffic to use. The alternative to this is to close the A379 from Torcross to the Slapton junction.
We have been made aware of issues on the Promenade and that will need further investigation.
In relation to a clear up, I contacted SHDC today and their team turned out to collect some of the debris that has been displaced. My colleague and I did tidy the paving slabs from the Promenade and carriageway on Monday, but more were displaced overnight into Tuesday. SHDC will clear the Promenade of the remaining slabs and roof tiles tomorrow. Depending on the direction of the wind, there is the risk of more tiles falling, so we have tried to barrier off the area to stop people wandering about.
Several properties now have scaffold on them, and additional windows etc have been boarded up.
We are expecting more rain over the next few days, with another weather warning tomorrow, and a high tide on Monday. The works we are doing are a temporary fix, to try and hold the road in place, and currently there is no defined date when the road might be reopened. It will remain closed for at least the next week.
Emergency advice from Devon County Council
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Ingrid wreaks havoc at Torcross, Beesands and Hallsands
Storm Ingrid’s conjunction of spring tides, a low-pressure storm surge, and south-easterly winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour caused significant damage and heartache in our coastal settlements this weekend. In Torcross, several dwellings (all, thankfully, unoccupied) had their fronts demolished by the force of the waves, while many other suffered broken windows and smashed up garden furniture. During the storm boulders, concrete and wooden benches, and paving stone were hurled about like toys, some ending up in the Ley. The stone wall backing the Start Bay Inn’s car park was partly washed away. One long-term resident said he hadn’t seen anything like it since the great storm of 1979. At one stage the Tank car park was underwater, and the A379 was blocked by tons of shingle and other storm-borne debris. The road is currently closed (see Road and Traffic updates above) and may remain closed for some time while its length is inspected for storm damage.
At Beesands, meanwhile, the slipway and car park have suffered further damage and are covered in large debris, as is the village green. In Hallsands the sea has taken another bite out of the car park, already significantly shrunken since the Christmas storms. More high winds and rain are forecast for the next few days so it may be some time before full-scale clean-up efforts can begin.
Police urge dog owners urged to take extra care of their pets around livestock
Members of the public found guilty of irresponsible dog ownership will face unlimited fines under updates to legislation designed to offer greater protection to sheep, cows, and other livestock. The updated law, which comes into effect on 18 March 2026, means that incidents occurring on roads and public paths will now be treated as offences, in addition to those occurring in fields or enclosures.
Livestock worrying is when a dog attacks, chases, or causes stress to one or more farm animals. Chasing, biting, barking or stalking causes the animals to panic and, even without physical contact, experience severe suffering which can lead to injury, death or the abortion of unborn lambs. Under the updated law, police officers will have wide powers to investigate and act on incidents of livestock worrying, including:
- The ability to seize and detain dogs suspected of chasing, attacking or threatening livestock
- Entering premises under a warrant to collect potential evidence
- Take forensic samples from dogs (by collecting DNA or mouth impressions)
Devon & Cornwall Police’s Livestock Lead, Rural Affairs Officer PC Jules Fry, said: “Many dog owners may not be aware of livestock worrying laws or may think their dog momentarily chasing farm animals is harmless, but these incidents can cause animals to experience extreme stress, which can lead to pregnancy loss, injuries and fatalities.
“The best way to protect both dogs and livestock is for owners to keep their dogs on a lead anywhere near livestock, or where livestock could be encountered.
“The only exception to this would be if you are chased by cattle, in which case you should release your dog from the lead and move quickly and calmly away from the herd.”
January draft minutes published
Draft minutes of January’s Full Council Meeting are now published and available on the website.
Wassail! Wassail!
As any fule kno, the best way to ensure a really good apple harvest is to bless the trees in midwinter with libations of cider, while at the same time singing, dancing and making loud noises in the orchard to scare away evil spirits. Or at least that’s the theory behind the Old English custom of Wassail (or “good health”) that is currently undergoing a huge revival across the country.
Sceptical? Come and join the revellers on Saturday 17 January at Chillington Village Hall and see for yourself! Tea and coffee, apple juice and cider, hot and cold food will be served. There’ll be music, singing, dancing, spirit-scaring and lots more. Action starts at 12.15 – see you there!
December Full Council minutes published
Approved minutes of December’s Full Council meeting are now published and available on the website.