Recent storms have ripped hundreds of tons of sand away from the vulnerable beach at Dawlish Warren, the Environment Agency has confirmed. And while the beach will repair itself over time, it could be more than a decade before the sand is back at its familiar level.
A £14m reconstruction project at Dawlish Warren was only completed in October last year. It aims to protect the vulnerable main railway line and thousands of homes, and was carried out over the summer by the EA.
The scheme involved increasing sand levels to protect defences through sand replenishment, replacing and refurbishing timber groynes and putting what looks like a giant sandbag into the vulnerable neck section of the Warren.
More than 100 Olympic swimming pools full of sand were pumped on to the beach, but since then there have been several storms, most recently Storm Emma, that have caused changes to beach levels.
An EA spokesman said: "We have identified previously that the site is expected to change, with the beach lowering and the dunes rolling back. The rate of this change will be dependent on the frequency and severity of the storms.
"Storm Emma in particular has accelerated change, including beach lowering and dunes being eroded, which is part of the normal process of beach changes following storms. The flood defences at the Warren protecting local and estuary communities.
"A major part of the scheme was the removal of the old gabion baskets which were damaging these internationally important dune features, not protecting them. Longer term it is likely there will be flooding behind the dunes at high tide. This is expected and the reason why a new defence was built by the visitors centre in the low lying land behind the dunes as part of the scheme.
"The movement of sand in these early stages has clearly been extensive and we understand the public interest in this matter. As with any beach recharge scheme, the largest changes are expected to occur in the first winter as the beach adjusts to a more natural profile.
"The timber groyne field is designed to reduce the rate of change of beach levels but not hold the sand. The Warren has very limited sand coming on to the beach naturally, hence the need to do artificial beach recharge. Beach lowering over time is expected.
"It is estimated that beach levels will return to pre-scheme levels by 2030 but as highlighted, this will be dependent on the frequency and severity of future storms."