Slapton Line Reinstatement

Project Bulletin 26 September 2018

Progress

The realignment of the A379 between Slapton and Gate is progressing well and is on schedule for completion in mid-October. The southern section of the road is complete and the northern section is well underway with all ecological and unexploded ordnance surveys undertaken.

The junction of Sands Road with the A379 is almost complete having been moved inland by about 10 metres. Traffic lights will remain in place until Friday 5th October. Lights will then be used for short periods whilst finishing works, such as road markings, are undertaken.

The Field Study Centre staff and contractors have been undertaking scrub management work to facilitate the re-routing of the which has been temporarily diverted along the shingle beach.

Want to get in touch?

Your dedicated Public Liaison Officer for the A379 Slapton Line Reinstatement works is Rosemarie Harrod. She can be contacted by

T: 0330 041 2184*

The new carriageway looking from Slapton The old and new carriageways looking from E: [email protected] Junction towards Strete Strete towards Slapton Junction * Calls to this number are charged at national call rates Upcoming Works and included in inclusive minute plans from landlines On Thursday 27th September there will be a night time closure of the Sands Road and mobiles

Junction with the A379, for one night only between 6pm and 6am. community.alungriffiths.co.uk On the 8th October we will commence works to repair and upgrade a 70 metre stretch of an existing sea defence immediately north of . This will follow on @AlunGriffiths_ from the emergency work undertaken to the remainder of this old sea wall in early 2016. From 8th October for about six weeks, two-way traffic lights will be in place opposite the ‘Tank’ Car Park until the work is completed. Access to the car park will be unaffected. We will locate a site office and stores unit on the car park during October.

In mid-October we will be demolishing the public toilets in the War Memorial Car Park near the Sands Road Slapton Junction and making good the area on which they stood.

Community Engagement

On September 9th we hosted a site visit for members of County Council, South Hams District Council, and other bodies connected with the Slapton Line Partnership. Griffiths’ Project Manager, Roger Walker, showed guests the progress made and the environmentally friendly way in which the work is being undertaken.

Devon County Council Leader John Hart said; “It’s important that the local communities are reconnected as soon as possible, and I’m pleased to see work is coming along well. While this scheme is intended to prolong the lifespan of this section of the A379, the Slapton Line will always remain a vulnerable area. We’re continuing to work with others in the Slapton Line Partnership to see what more might be done to address future resilience.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The reinstatement of the road is a high priority for the County Council, so I’m pleased to see that work is on schedule for completion within the ambitious timescale proposed. The environmental sensitivity of the area means that we’ve had to develop very specific working approaches to minimise any adverse impacts. We are also pleased to be working with the landowner (the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust) and the Field Studies Council to incorporate positive measures for wildlife and to improve the visitor experience within the Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve.”

Councillor Julian Brazil, local County Councillor for Kingsbridge and South Hams District Councillor said: “It’s good that things are progressing well. I would also like to thank local residents for being so tolerant over the summer holidays. I hope local businesses will soon be able to recover – I know it’s been very tough.”

Councillor Richard Foss, South Hams District Council Ward Member for Allington and Strete, said: “I am impressed at the way the work is proceeding. The effort taken to care for the environment is commendable and I look forward to driving down the new road once it’s complete.”

Members of Devon County Council and Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd host a site visit for local Councillors and members of the Slapton Line Partnership.

See a short video update about the A379 reinstatement: https://youtu.be/Oq2MMlCjrxY

We held our final drop-in session at Strete Parish Hall on 26th September.

This is our final newsletter about the reinstatement of the A379 at Slapton. We would like to thank the local communities and all those people who have supported us in completing this project.

We would be pleased to hear your comments. You can get in touch via our web site community.alungriffiths.co.uk or by contacting Rosemarie Harrod on 0330 041 2184* or [email protected] Calls to this number are charged at national call rates and included in inclusive minute plans from landlines and mobiles

@AlunGriffiths_