With work on filling in the main tunnel with concrete completed, the focus has now turned to the main phase of the cliff works with the netting of the cliff face. Unfortunately, there had been a delay with the planning application as further ecological surveys had to be carried out together with a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) report. A survey had subsequently been completed by Orbis Ecologists based in Dawlish including the BNG assessment which has now been approved. In order to satisfy the conditions of Biodiversity Net Gain, Teignbridge District Council will be using a wire/black mesh and looking at seeding the crest with a wildflower mix post works with some additional bird boxes.
The tender for the works has now been progressed by TDC with prices already received from three contractors. However, an uplift in costs has meant that these require approval with an additional budget has had to be agreed. Planning will be proposing timescales whilst trying to avoid the key times for our residents and trying to make sure that they can accommodate any parking issues. This will be a different scale of works and the noise associated with the drilling, compared to the works before. We currently await provisional timescales, which may now have to be phased due to the increased costs.