'Millionaire' homes road closed after sewage pipe breaks

Road likely to be shut for several weeks

A road which is home to some of Devon’s most expensive houses could be closed for weeks after engineers discovered a hole under the surface.

Ilsham Marine Drive takes traffic around the Hopes Nose area of Torquay and is popular with sightseers. It boasts panoramic views of the bay and boasts luxury homes with price tags of well over £1 million.

But the narrow section between the Kilmorie Apartments and Thatcher Rock Green has been closed after the problems were discovered.

South West Water engineers are on site, working to bypass and repair a fractured sewer pipe.

Torbay Council confirmed: “An emergency road closure has been put in place by SWISCo, our highways contractor, and is likely to be in place for several weeks.

“This is due to investigations of a potentially unstable slope supporting the public highway.”

Last weekend the small void and surface fractures appeared in the highway, leading to the decision to close it.

More than 100 households on Ilsham Marine Drive and its connecting roads will now need to use a lengthy detour to get around the closure.

The council spokesperson added: “The lower section of Ilsham Marine Drive near Kilmorie apartments has been regularly monitored since 2002 following instability of the cliffs and historic landslides.”

The local authority has apologised for any disruption but says safety is of paramount concern.

Ilsham Marine Drive is the second Torbay seafront road to be closed in recent weeks due to a void suddenly appearing beneath the surface. Sands Road at Paignton remains closed while repairs are taking place.