The intertidal habitat in the village was created as part of a flood defence scheme and made following a breach in the bank of the River Tamar last year. The new footbridge over the wetlands was designed and constructed to span the breach through the old flood embankment and now to maintain the footpath on both sides.
This was a condition imposed by Cornwall Council on the Environment Agency’s planning application for the wider flood defence and habitat creation scheme. However, since the footbridge officially opened in May, parish councillors voiced concern regarding scouring, a process caused by water flowing in and out of the wetland with the tide, which they say has been observed to be eroding the riverbank ‘to more significant levels’ than expected.
A pile cap (concrete blocks connecting support beams) on one side of the bridge’s foundations has recently become visible, jutting out of the soil below, (pictured above) which has prompted Calstock residents to also express serious concern over the bridge’s structural safety.
At their most recent parish council meeting, assistant clerk Clare Bullimore confirmed that a ‘bad tempered and lengthy’ meeting had recently occurred between the Environment Agency, The Tamar Community Trust and both herself and Cornwall Councillor Dorothy Kirk as representatives for Calstock Parish Council. The assistant clerk said, as a result of this meeting: ‘The Environment Agency is commissioning a survey into the erosion as even they are concerned about it. Until that comes back, there’ll be no movement from any parties. They are adamant they can not sustain it long term. They said there’s no immediate danger but if the report comes back and it looks bad, they will close it. No one will sign anything until the report says it’s absolutely fine.’
Dorothy Kirk said: ‘The Environment Agency are the people who made all the calculations and passed all the designs and they ought to know what they are doing. If they were mistaken, they need to be held to account now. The Tamar Community Trust are working with them on this. At no point during our recent meeting did the representative actually say they would take responsibility. His attitude I felt was squidgey, there was no assumption of responsibility.’
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: ‘We are working closely with both the parish council and the Tamar Community Trust on the wetland and footpath. We are aware of the erosion, which is being closely monitored and assessed. This will give the partnership an understanding of what is happening at the site. We will then be able to decide on next steps. The safety of the public is our primary concern, and we will take any actions deemed necessary to that end.’
They confirmed that bridge and pile designers were working with them in their investigations.