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Permanent closure notice for coastal road

Somerset Council An aerial image of coastal road the B319 Cleeve Hill in Somerset falling into the sea. Trees, bushes and rock can be seen on the steep slopeSomerset Council
The B319 Cleeve Hill is to be given a permanent road closure notice

A coastal road in Somerset faces being permanently closed for safety reasons.

The B3191 Cleeve Hill near Watchet was closed in January 2023 because of fears of costal erosion.

The road was initially shut to cars under a temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), but declared safe for pedestrians and cyclists in 2024.

Somerset council has now said it will apply for a permanent TRO, as it does not have the "major funding" needed to safeguard the road or build a replacement.

The council said it "remains committed to exploring all potential sources of funding and is continuing to lobby for transport investment in the area".

The TRO can be reversed in the future should funding become available, it added.

The B3191 at Cleeve Hill is high on the cliffs on the coastline between Watchet and Blue Anchor.

As the road is close to the cliff and had experienced regular landslips, sensors were installed to pick up earth movements and alert the council's Highways Team.

Detailed inspections after January 2023 showed further movement was inevitable and convinced council officials that it would be impossible to safely reopen the road to vehicles without major structural and stabilisation measures.

The council has completed cliff protection works at nearby Blue Anchor in order to ensure that an alternative route remains available for traffic to access businesses and destinations along the B3191.

Road closed sign on narrow cliff road with cones and barriers saying "Pedestrian Access"
The road runs along the west Somerset coastline near Blue Anchor and Watchet

The road has been monitored for the past couple of years by independent specialist firm Geckoella, which has been advising Somerset Council.

Geckoella co-director Andy King said: "The amount of erosion that's occurring there, and continues to occur, is certainly dangerous for any vehicular traffic.

"We're expecting there to be continuing landslides and coastal erosion at increasing rates.

"It would be very difficult to think of an engineering solution in that particular location because of the height of the cliff and the scale of the landslip going on."

The road is still open for pedestrians usingf the coastal footpath and for non-motorised bikes.

Dr King continued: "Watchet is not alone as a coastal town which is suffering from the impact of coastal erosion.

"A lot of this is about how costal towns adapt and mitigate."

Somerset Council's lead member for transport and waste, councillor Richard Wilkins said: "The situation is unchanged - the B3191 remains unsafe for motor vehicles, but we need to move to a proper legal position with respect to these roads.

"However, we are continuing to lobby for transport investment in our county. When funding streams become available we will lobby strongly on behalf of local communities."

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