Hope to repair or re-route Watchet road at risk of erosion

A section of the road runs over a sheer cliff face in West Somerset

Two new proposals to protect a coastal road in west Somerset from eroding into the sea are set to explored.

The B3191 coast road between Blue Anchor and Watchet closed temporarily in December over fears there had been movement in the cliff face below.

Somerset West and Taunton councillors have agreed to explore whether to build defences near Blue Anchor or re-route the road south of Cleeve Hill.

The council hopes to pay for the scheme with Environment Agency funding.

No costings for either option have been released.

'Precarious nature'

The decision to explore the two possible solutions was agreed during a full council meeting on Tuesday.

The report stated: "The situation at Blue Anchor has deteriorated in line with erosion predictions, and the hotel is now within two metres of the visible terminal crack on the cliff.

"This erosion rate not only places the hotel at risk but also the highway infrastructure, and in turn the route integrity from Blue Anchor to Watchet."

A previous effort in 2014 to secure Environment Agency funding to protect the road failed for a range of "technical and valuation reasons", but the agency prefers the road to be re-routed.

The report said: "The option to protect the road can only be delivered if there is sufficient land on which to build a protection scheme, this will likely include grading the cliff to a suitable angle.

"With the erosion continuing the land left to deliver a scheme is diminishing.

"The Environment Agency view is there is no temporary scheme that can be put in place and the only way forward is to move straight to the delivery of a permanent solution."

The road was closed for eight days from 27 December after a sensor had apparently detected ground movement.

Tests later established the sensor had failed, but the council added action was needed as "the precarious nature of this section of road cannot be underestimated".

Further funding is also being sought from the Somerset Local Enterprise Partnership.