Storm-damaged Slapton Road repairs to start in the summer

The section of the A379 between Slapton and Strete Gate has been closed since early March after most of the road was washed away or undermined during Storm Emma.

The Government has committed £2.5 million for the reinstatement of the road and the County Council has been carrying out scrub clearance, surveys (including ordnance surveys) and working on designs for reconnecting the route.

The southern section of the reinstatement, near the junction to Slapton village, will be implemented based on an existing planning permission.

However, the extent of the storm damage means that a new planning application is needed for the originally envisaged northern realignment towards Strete Gate – in order to extend it northwards and slightly to the west.

Subject to the progress of the planning application, it’s hoped that work will start in the summer and is expected to be completed late autumn.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We are doing everything possible to get on with this reinstatement work as soon as we can. It’s unfortunate that we will be carrying out work during the busy summer months, but hopefully everyone would prefer us to be working on this rather than delaying the start of the scheme.

“The aim is for this scheme to extend the life of the A379 Slapton Line in order to make it more resilient in the event of future storms.”

Draft plans to reinstate the A379 at Slapton went on show to the public on Thursday. Devon County Council’s Cabinet will discuss the proposals for the realigned route on Wednesday, May 16.