Archive for category: News

DCC have confirmed that one of the downstream piles was in poor condition. To mitigate this they have now received a large 3.7 tonne pipe which is being modified at the contractor’s yard. This pipe will be placed around the cluster of piles and have concrete injected into it. When the concrete has cured the weight restriction can be removed. This should take a couple of weeks, weather permitting. However it will entail a full closure of at least six hours – we will try to make this happen to cause as little disruption as possible but is tide dependant.

The upstream pile caisson has been found to have timber pitch pine piles but these are in good condition.

Engineers are working on all the pile clusters to check they are in good condition and require no further work.

Engineers believe that when the downstream work is finished the full 40 tonne weight limit can be reinstated – great news for Christmas!

Please see the below update from County Councillor Dewhirst:

A quick update. I must tell you that there is no higher priority in Devon at the moment and all are working straight through until the problem is sorted. The diving team were working over the weekend and we are still waiting for the results of yesterday’s inspection – sadly the more we inspect the more we find degraded timber. There is still a possibility that, should more problems be found, the Chief Engineer will have no choice but to close the bridge.

There is however a ray of light. The engineers have devised a system over the weekend that involves encapsulating the piles and injecting micro-concrete at high pressure – this would take the load further down the piles into areas where there is no degradation of the timber. Devon County Engineers are today talking to a local firm of Engineering Contractors who we believe could do the job straight away with minimal disruption and take two or three weeks – this would then mean the weight restriction could be lifted to 7 1/2 tonne. We are currently mobilising heavy equipment across the south west so that if and when we need to put additional piles in to support the bridge back to a 40 tonne limit we are ready.

I think the next few hours are going to be critical – I have impressed on everyone the importance of keeping the bridge open. I have also discussed many of the suggestions made on social media such as putting a baily bridge on top of the existing, but sadly all of these ideas were not feasable.

The Parish Council will convene to consider two planning applications on Wednesday 05 September 2018. This meeting will commence at 7.30pm in the Village Hall’s Committee Room.
To view the agenda, please click here.

GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE

Parish Council grant applications are now available.

Section137 of the Local Government Act 1972 allows the Parish Council to spend a limited amount on activities for which it has no specific power, but which the authority considers ‘will bring direct benefit to the area, or any part of it or all or some of its inhabitants’. The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 added the requirement that the benefit obtained should be commensurate with the expenditure incurred.
Community/voluntary/charitable organisations may apply to the Parish Council for a grant. They must be non-profit making.

Application forms are available to download here, or you can contact the Clerk for a paper copy.
All applications must be accompanied by supporting documents and copies of accounts.

Deadline for receiving applications is Friday 31 August 2018.
The Parish Council will consider all applications at its meeting on Tuesday 11 September.

Teignbridge District Council are currently running a consultation on the Local Plan.
Make sure you have your say. All information is available here.