23/09/2026
We have spent around £1 million since 2015 on looking after the coastal defences next to Village Green.
However, the storms over Christmas and New Year caused significant damage. We committed £180,000 to urgently place 1,500 tonnes of rock armour between January and February to try and protect Beesands.
The scale of the damage caused at the time was beyond what can be fixed through normal maintenance and further works are needed. We know this has raised concerns locally, especially about coastal erosion and flooding as we head into this winter.
This has resulted in a further £150,000 of emergency funding which has been approved for the placement of 1,300 tonnes of rock armour in front of the village green, in the area as shown on the plan below.
This area has been chosen following advice from coastal specialists, who have been helping us assess the growing risk to the access road, nearby homes and other community areas.
These works will help provide some additional protection but cannot guarantee that there will be no further damage over the winter.
The aim is to reduce the risk of further erosion in the short term, and give us more time to work with residents, government agencies and possible funding partners on longer-term options.
The work will be carried out by local contractor Landmarc, who have a lot of experience working in this area. They are due to start on Wednesday 6 October and are expected to complete the works within 4 weeks.
Cllr Dan Thomas, Leader of South Hams District Council
