MP demands government support for storm-hit South Devon

South Devon MP addresses parliament

The government has been warned that it must do more to help coastal communities like those in South Devon as they deal with the devastating effects of coastal erosion and sea storms.

South Devon Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden made an impassioned speech on behalf of communities in Start Bay during a parliamentary debate.

“They are not asking for the sea to be stopped,” she said. “They are asking for a government that works with them to find a way forward.”

She said coastal communities around the country were watching the government’s response to the ongoing crisis in Start Bay which began when violent storms hit the exposed coastline at the beginning of February.

“Start Bay is one of South Devon’s most stunning stretches of coastline,” she said. “Although the area has always experienced storms, their frequency and intensity have increased in recent years.”

On February 2 a 200-metre section of the A379 Slapton Line road just north of Torcross was damaged, with huge slabs of tarmac falling into the sea and the entire width of the road collapsing in the worst affected section.

Ms Voaden told fellow MPs: “The once-picturesque stretch of coastline looked like a bombsite.”

She said there were severe travel delays as a result of the road collapse, and local businesses had seen a drop in footfall as well as cancelled bookings. Older people and those with mobility issues had been cut off.

A petition launched by the South Devon MP calling for greater government support for affected communities attracted more than 40,000 signatures.

Along with funding to repair the road, strengthen sea defences and improve the back road network, the South Devon MP called for dedicated financial support for local councils dealing with coastal emergencies.

She went on: “What this government does in response to the crisis in Start Bay will be noticed far beyond South Devon.

“It will signal to every coastal community whether the government will support them in their fight against erosion or not. Ministers must remember that the sea does not respect administrative boundaries or departmental silos, or funding formulae designed for a different kind of emergency.

“Battling coastal erosion requires a response that is strategic, sustained and genuinely cross-governmental.

“The people of Start Bay are a proud, resilient community that deserves a response equal to the challenge they face, as does any coastal community the length and breadth of this country.

“We must always keep in mind that the cost of doing nothing is a very high price to pay.”

In response, parliamentary under-secretary for housing, communities and local government Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Labour MP for Peckham, said the government understood and sympathised with those impacted by coastal erosion at Start Bay.

She said: “We will do our part to build communities that are resilient and support those communities as they go through a very difficult transition to adapt to the changes that are coming.

“We will continue to do our bit to support coastal communities.”