Packed meeting in Stokenham tells MP of fears for loss of the A379 Slapton Line

Stokenham Parish Hall was packed to capacity on Thursday to hear Caroline Voaden MP answer questions and hear at first hand the concerns of local residents, after successive storms wreaked havoc on the settlements of Torcross, Beesands and Hallsands, and forced the closure of the A379 Slapton Line.

Ms Voaden listened and responded for over an hour and a half, as residents told tales of sleepless nights spent terrified that their houses were about to be swept away, and heard at length the fears of villagers and local business-owners that the loss of the road would represent a catastrophe for the region. She promised that she would engage vigorously with central government ministers to seek the necessary funding for rebuilding, but conceded that she could give no guarantees that the money would be forthcoming.

Such was the demand for seats that more than 100 people were denied entry to the meeting, as local police officers in attendance determined that the parish hall’s maximum legal capacity of 200 had been reached. A spokesperson for the MP later said: ”Caroline and her team have expressed their apologies for anyone who was unable to get in to Thursday’s meeting – unfortunately more people attended than expected, and most venues in local villages are a similar size to Stokenham Parish Hall or have accessibility issues. Caroline will be holding further meetings in due course, so please do not fear that this will be the last opportunity to raise concerns.”

An additional meeting has been arranged at Slapton Village Hall on Saturday 7 February to accommodate those who were not able to attend the meeting in Stokenham (see the news item elsewhere on the website) meaning there will now be two meetings in Slapton that day, the first at 12 noon and the second at 14:00. Additional parking will be available at the Field Studies Centre, but we would advise people not to arrive for the second meeting before 13.30 to allow attendees at the previous meeting to depart.