Devon County Council leaders say they simply won’t be able to afford to rebuild a coast road which has washed into the sea.
The main A379 coast road near Torcross collapsed overnight after sea defences were breached in storms last month.
On Tuesday 3rd February, just hours after the collapse, councillor Julian Brazil, Devon County Council Leader travelled to London with Chief Executive Donna Manson to discuss central government funding support for Devon’s roads.
He said: “It’s devastating for the local community, and our priority is the families whose lives and livelihoods are directly affected by this.
“The route is not looking good and we’re likely to be looking at tens of millions of pounds to repair it.
“The County can’t afford to rebuild the road and we’re desperately looking for help from government.
“The Chief Executive and I are in Westminster with local MP Caroline Voaden, banging the drum and making representations on behalf of people in the local community, to do as much as we can for them.”
Highways teams have been assessing damage to the A379 at Slapton.
Devon County Council said staff have been working around the clock over the past week to add extra rock protection to the southern section of the road at Torcross, following initial damage to the road during Storm Ingrid.
However, the southern section of the road and sheet piling at Torcross has now suffered significant damage, with one lane collapsed on a section of around 200 metres.
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