Lower Otter Restoration Project — Attraction in East Devon

The LORP offers fantastic opportunities for wildlife and in broadest terms I wholeheartedly support the scheme. So, when last week I was passing through Budleigh Salterton with my wife and mother in law and noted that the White Farm road was open to traffic I drove down to the new road expecting great things. To say I was dismayed by what greeted me is an understatement. I was appalled by the transformation of this formerly quiet backwater to an urban jungle of ARMCO, tarmac, fencing and signage. Why in god's name anyone thinks there is a need to have ARMCO crash barriers bordering the road is beyond comprehension. Of course there will be some degree of risk with tidal / flood water but surely a ditch / bank / timber revetment would suffice ? Until recently motorways had no crash barriers and to this day you can drive around Devon and much of the UK with hazards bordering the roads (watercourses, precipitous drops, trees,etc) with no need for ARMCO. Somerset would be buried in the stuff if flood risk needed to be dealt with in this manner. It feels as if a trainee DCC Highways Engineer has been let loose with the remit to do things by the "Make it 100% safe forever" book with no regard whatsoever for cost, visual amenity or wildlife. Over recent years many Acts of Parliament have been passed that properly require Licencing / Permitting authorities to pay proper attention to wildlife , habitat creation , the historic environment and visual amenity. This recognises that these matters are important to our wellbeing , tourism, etc. In this case the highways scheme appears to have paid no attention whatsoever to the visual intrusion the road works will have upon this multi million pound and now wildly overspent project. I wait with nervous trepidation what monstrosity is going to be revealed at the southern outfall structure if the White Bridge road is anything to go by. In conclusion I can only say that the engineers involved in the highways aspects of this project should be ashamed of themselves , have their pens and pencils taken away, and be sent stacking shelves at the supermarket if they can't do better for the good people of Devon and the wider public.

Other than that , the habitat creation scheme looks top drawer.

regards,

Steve Moore

Cc Simon Jupp MP. ...

The now completed Lower Otter Restoration Project has elevated this estuary from an ok place to watch birds and wildlife, to not just one of the best places in South East Devon, but is now among the best places on the South coast of England to do so. For those thinking of visiting this important site the usual 3 hours before until 3 hours after high tide is the best time to visit, BE AWARE some footpaths may become flooded especially on High Spring Tides, so check tide times/height before visiting, allow yourself plenty of time, there is so much to see with many viewings points/information boards. You will not be disappointed when you visit this amazing site, you will find birds in every month of the year, but it comes into it's own during the winter months and remember it's all free, except for the...

Nothing short of horrendous,what was a beautiful ,natural environment now completely ruined . The sewage leaks are causing the whole area to smell really bad and the estuary now resembles a mud flat far too often ,it was a lovely leafy walk with lots of natural plants and foliage now the "yellow brick road" completely spoils the entire walk ,such a...