Thanks for Torbay's Storm Bert clean-up crews

MP demands clarity on Dawlish and Teignmouth rail project

Emergency teams who worked around the clock to clear up after Storm Bert in Torbay have been thanked in the House of Commons.

Torbay Council and its SWISCo highway maintenance crews had reports of fallen trees, snapped streetlights, broken fences, road closures, flooding, damaged signs and broken traffic lights.

Meadfoot sea road had to be closed due to flooding and debris and there were fallen trees at Ferryman’s View, Hillhead, Luscombe Lane, Queensway, Copythorne Road, Hennapyn Road, Higher Edginswell Road and Windsor Road.

There was also a fallen fence on Cockington Lane as well as flooding at Eastfield Lane, Sands Road, Coombe Road and Lower Polsham Road. 

The bay’s Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling said the teams had ‘stepped up’ to help. He also pressed environment secretary Steve Reed on funding for the next stage of Network Rail’s multi-million-pound project to make the railway line at Teignmouth and Dawlish more resilient to storms.

He told MPs: “I hope that the secretary of state will join me in thanking workers at Torbay Council who have stepped up to help out residents across my constituency during Storm Bert.

“I also highlight to colleagues the fact that we are haunted by deep cuts to the flood defence budget under the previous government.

“Phase five of the Dawlish rail resilience programme remains up on the shelf and has not been funded yet. Will he give assurances that it will be funded, to protect this vital piece of infrastructure?”

Mr Reed replied: “Thanks to those who have been involved in protecting people from the impact of flooding.”

And he promised an answer in writing on the rail resilience programme.