More Government funding needed to deal with flooding legacy in Devon
The impact of last year’s major flooding in Devon will be felt for the next four years, Devon County Council’s Cabinet heard today (Wed 9 Oct) as further calls were made for additional Government funding for roads.
Councillors have agreed proposals to deal with the legacy left by the major flood events in 2012/13, in which Devon’s highways sustained almost £18 million of damage.
Around £12.2 million was spent in the immediate aftermath on clearing debris from roads and drains, patching roads, reinstating embankments and repairing bridges, roads and culverts. Devon received a little over £3 million of Government Bellwin funding as a contribution towards the repairs, and the County Council dipped into £3.6 million of emergency reserves to cope with the volume of work.
Despite the amount of repairs undertaken, more than £5.5 million of outstanding work remains. Just over £2 million will be invested this financial year, leaving another £3.5 million of outstanding repairs over the following three financial years.
Devon County Council’s Cabinet endorsed the programme for prioritising the remaining repairs. This will include repairs to two collapsed Grade Two Listed structures, Waterstave Bridge in Bradninch and Collard Bridge in Snapper in 2014/15, as well as the severely damaged Alma Bridge in Sidmouth in 2015/16.
It was also agreed that where consideration may have to be given to downgrade or abandon roads, full consultation will be held with the local County Councillors in the affected area. The only road currently on the agreed schedule to be considered for a TRO to prevent traffic access is Hulk Lane in Thorverton.
Devon’s 8,000 mile highway network, the biggest of any authority in the country, needs £62 million a year of investment to maintain its current condition. The budget for the current financial year stands at £39 million, and with the extra pressure of the flood legacy works, councillors say the need for more Government investment in highways is even more urgent.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Maintenance and Flood Prevention, said: “A huge demand has been placed on our resources at a time when we can ill afford it. We need to continue to highlight the under funding of highway maintenance and we need to lobby Government for more funding to maintain our highway asset in Devon. The County Council has already spent £12.2 million to carry out reactive works and there remains a £5.5 million backlog. That reveals the extent of the damage inflicted on our roads and the legacy we are left with. Unfortunately it will take time to restore our roads so it’s correct to prioritise this backlog so that we can address the roads with most impact first. Abandoning a road will only be considered in exceptional circumstances but it must be an option to make the best use of resources.”
The prioritisation of the repairs is based on factors including traffic volumes, category of road, length of diversion and alternative access to communities, the direct costs, costs of future deterioration if work is delayed or not carried out, and available funding.
