Dawlish railway station onto phase two

Public benefits outweigh heritage assets

Major improvements to the historic Brunel railway station will be made after councillors backed the second phase of the £80 million pound scheme to protect the railway line at Dawlish.

Network Rail aims to protect the line and passengers from the coastal elements and will help Dawlish to become more resilient to the effects of climate change. The plans for the section of 415m between Coastguards and Colonnade breakwaters, includes a new taller sea wall incorporating a high-level wider and safer public promenade, pedestrian access to the beach.

An accessible footbridge with lifts for the railway station that would allow anyone to access either platform is also included, while restoration work would take place on the rooms in the downside station platform building.

View the station across link bridge towards Marine Parade (Image Network Rail)

After nearly three hours of debate on Tuesday morning, Teignbridge District Council’s planning committee granted approval for the project, as well as granting listed building consent for the works that would affect the grade II listed Dawlish railway station.

Officers had outlined that the works would result in some harm to the heritage assets, but that while Historic England had raised their concerns, they had not formally objected, and the committee heard planners thought there was clear and convincing justification for the proposed development and that the public benefit outweighed the harm to the heritage assets.

Planning permission would be subject to an acceptable design for the accessible lift bridge and the proposed wall adjacent to the station building which is currently not considered to the sympathetic to the heritage asset.

New link bridge and Dawlish water stilling basin (Image Network Rail)

A reconstructed Dawlish Water basin will reduce the wave energy and improve protection in the Colonnades area and also provide a new public space improving the experience of the public as they enter the seafront, while enhancements to Dawlish Station such as a new accessible bridge and reinstating a waiting room on platform 1 are made possible by the new sea wall, improving the travel experience of those with mobility issues, suitcases or young children.

The works follow on from the Dawlish sea wall scheme which has seen at Marine Parade the wall raised from its current height of 5m to 7.5m, widen the walkway to 4m from its current 3.1m width, and include a barrier between the pedestrians and the edge of the to stop people falling off the wall.

Network Rail say that the new structure will provide greater protection from rising sea levels and extreme weather for generations to come, and help improve the long-term resilience of the line which links Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the UK.