East Devon District Council (EDDC) is carrying out emergency repairs to a piece of broken seawall at Exmouth today (October 31).

Heavy machinery will be moving in today from 10am to move sand to create a temporary barrier in front of the wall. 

Storm Ciaran is due to hit the county tomorrow (November 1), bringing a yellow weather warning for rain covering the whole of the region runs from 6pm on Wednesday (November 1) until midnight the following day (Thursday, November 2).

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC’s portfolio holder for coast, country, and environment, said: "Following the appearance of cracks in the seawall in front of Sideshore a few weeks ago, the council appointed a marine contractor to assess what works were needed. Last weekend, large seas and high tides worsened the situation, with large cracks appearing in the promenade and revetment wall.

"With Storm Ciaran approaching, we are concerned about possible further damage and a failure of the seawall. To minimise the impact of the storm, large plant and heavy earth moving equipment will be arriving at the site from 10am on Tuesday, 30 October.

"This machinery will move and compact sand, wrapped in geotextile to create a temporary barrier to lessen the impact of waves until the storm passes. Some geotextiles will be placed on top of the sand and held down with large concrete blocks too. Whilst the operation is carried out, sections of the beach will need to be restricted.

"Following this, further assessments of the damage and the required repairs will be made, and medium and long-term solutions will be proposed. In the meantime, fencing has been erected to keep people off the affected section of the promenade. The situation will continue to be monitored and if necessary, the footway and cycle way may need to be temporarily closed."