MP’s spotlight on rail links and hospital ‘disrepair’

Delay in funding for rail rescue project

The threat of climate change to South Devon’s fragile railway links and the need to solve Teignmouth’s healthcare problems have been highlighted in the House of Commons.

Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley used his maiden speech to spotlight some of his most pressing local issues.

Liberal Democrat Mr Wrigley overturned a 17,000 Conservative majority to win the seat at the general election.

He paid tribute to his predecessor Anne Marie Morris for her dedication to the constituency, and recalled she had referred to waves breaking over trains at Dawlish in her own maiden speech in 2010.

Mr Wrigley went on: “The 2014 storm, however, showed us that the force of the sea and the increased storms due to climate change were both serious and urgent.

“Since then, Network Rail has constructed a new seawall, rebuilt the station and more. However, it was the catastrophic cliff collapse near Teignmouth that caused the longest interruption of rail services, cutting London off from the south-west peninsula.

“We are still waiting for funds to be confirmed for that work.”

He said climate change is a ‘real and present’ threat which would need more than just flood defences and mitigations.

“We must do everything we can to reduce the use of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions,” he added.

Turning to healthcare, he pointed out that Devon has both an ageing population and fewer hospital beds per head of population than the national average.

“Local hospitals are falling into disrepair,” he said. “They are often overlooked in the model of care.”

He said the local healthcare trust’s decision to axe Teignmouth’s health and wellbeing centre project because of increased costs had come during his first week as an MP.

“I am working with the GPs to help them secure a new home and avoid putting primary care for 18,000 patients in jeopardy,” he said. “Teignmouth hospital is still under the threat of closure, despite housing many NHS and voluntary sector services.”

He said he and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey had met with local organisation Volunteering in Health at the hospital to discuss its work.