South Devon MP Caroline Voaden has urged the Prime Minister to back a long-term solution to coastal erosion in Start Bay after storm damage severed a key A road.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms Voaden said storms had “devastated” the area, wrecking homes and businesses and cutting the A379.

She told MPs and the Prime Minister that thousands of people who rely on the road to travel to school, work and healthcare were now stranded, with bus routes disrupted and emergency vehicle access affected. She added that the closure also put at risk the 300,000 visitors who travel to the area each year.

Describing the damage as of “national significance”, she highlighted Start Bay’s historic role in supplying shingle for Plymouth’s naval dockyards and as a D-Day training ground, where 750 American servicemen lost their lives. She also pointed to its status as a National Nature Reserve.

Ms Voaden asked PM Sir Keir Starmer to ensure government departments and agencies worked together to find and fund a sustainable, long-term solution.

The Prime Minister said he recognised communities had been badly affected by recent storms and described the damage to the A379 as “very concerning”. He confirmed Ms Voaden was due to meet the Roads and Floods Minister and said the government was investing £10bn in coastal and flood defences.

However, the PM stopped short of announcing specific funding for Start Bay, the A379 or committing to a dedicated cross-government response, instead pointing to existing national investment programmes.

Ms Voaden recently launched a petition calling for improved coastal protection and government support, which has now attracted 29,633 signatures.