A stretch of road in a Devon seaside town has been left propped up by temporary traffic lights for more than two years after a wall collapsed – with frustrated councillors now accusing the county council of “complete silence” over repairs.
The landslip on the A379 in Shaldon happened in February 2024 and the road, which is maintained by Devon County Council, has remained partially closed ever since.
On Tuesday, February 24, parish, district and county councillors held a small gathering at the site – complete with a cake – to mark what they described as two years of inaction and mounting costs.
Devon County Councillor Heather Horner said she had repeatedly tried to press the authority for answers but had struggled to get clear responses.
She said: “I’ve made several contacts with the county council officers. I didn’t get a response. I did a freedom of information request. I asked to see legal documents, but they were refused, I was invited to attend a meeting.”
Cllr Horner said chief executive Donna Manson had reviewed the case and agreed repairs were needed. She said: “She said, ‘Yes, it does need to be repaired, and I will agree to the repair going ahead; however, that does not mean we are taking liability for the costs, that will be sorted out later.”
Horner added that she met the director of environment, climate and highways in November and was told work would go ahead, although no timeline was agreed. Borehole testing was carried out in early December, but she said there had been no further communication despite several follow-up emails.
“Since then it’s been complete silence,” she said. “At the last parish council meeting, it was agreed that we couldn’t put up with this any longer.”
Danielle Westlake, chair of Shaldon parish council, said the prolonged disruption was having a growing impact on residents and businesses. “From the get-go, when it all first collapsed, we put pressure on Devon County Council to repair this problem, and we’re still no further on,” she said.
Westlake said the temporary lights were causing long tailbacks, often stretching to Shaldon Bridge and up the Torquay road, with emergency vehicles struggling to get through. She added that idling cars were frustrating residents and contributing to pollution. “It’s the environmental impact from the fumes is quite something,” she said.
She also raised concerns about rising costs, claiming the bill for traffic management alone was already substantial. “Somebody has estimated they’re way in excess of £50,000 already. That could have gone a long way to fixing this,” she said.
Devon County Council has been approached for comment.
