SALCOMBE'S North Sands beach is to have yet more work done as authorities try to prevent winter flooding.
The violent storms of early 2014 led to a car park behind the beach flooding due to a collapsed culvert. Water came within inches of taking out a pumping station and damaging the Winking Prawn cafe.
A joint £120,000 project between South Hams Council, Devon Highways and South West Water was carried out to replace the culvert and build a new channel beside the car park to take water from the valley. The final piece of work, installing a footbridge over the stream, was completed in the summer.
But town councillors were upset when they learnt earlier in the year that Section 106 money paid to the district council by developers in Salcombe was used to pay for part of the work.
Spring high tides have seen the car park continue to flood and South Hams Council is now looking at ways to prevent the problem. Engineers plan to fit a flap valve that would prevent water flowing through the culvert into the car park area at high tide and are looking at a new type of grille to prevent blockages.
A district council spokesman said: 'We're going to trial a split-design grille that should self-clear. Flooding would be likely if in the winter storms sand blocks the beach side of the grille. By adopting
a split design we're hoping it should self-clear when sand blocks the bottom. But it's not guaranteed. The flap valve is on order.'
Town clerk Gill Claydon reported at
the last town council meeting on Wednesday, October 8, that South Hams had obtained funding from the Environment Agency to install a tide gate at the end of Clifton Place. The council had been asked to provide information about who owned affected properties.
At the meeting, while discussing possible projects that might qualify for district council money from the Community Reinvest-ment Fund, Cllr Andrew Biggs jokingly enquired whether the town council could apply
to be reimbursed the Section 106 money used for the work at North Sands earlier in the year.