VITAL safety work on a Tavistock river wall is increasing in cost, even though the project is only three weeks in.

The Market Road River Tavy retaining wall is in danger of collapsing into the water, taking the road and any parked cars or people with it.

Tavistock Town Council has undertaken the major project as a priority capital works for this year, allocating funds to it.

The road has been closed for traffic three times to allow tonnes of stone to be loaded by crane into the water to create a small dam behind which water can be drained to allow workers to repair the wall.

However, one of the closures was unplanned as problems were faced in draining the water by AD Williams the contractors. This has led to modifications of the dam with two layers – an outer and inner wall, built.

One of the first tasks has been for trained personnel to stun and remove fish humanely that are remaining inside the dam, so water has to be shallow enough for people wade in it to net fish before they are freed.

Carl Hearn, Tavistock Town Council clerk, confirmed delays would cost the project more than estimated, but would not fall behind schedule and would meet all the Environment Agency (EA) standards.

The work is due to finish by September. In the meatime, although the river wall is not a formally designated flood defence, the EA is carrying out a flood risk analysis of Tavistock centre to ensure property, transport links and people are adequately protected.