Work to stop B3191 at Blue Anchor falling in sea approved

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

A £4m scheme to stop a key coastal road falling into the sea has been signed off by councillors.

The approval for work to defend the B3191 at Blue Anchor in Somerset from erosion came days after an emergency programme finished there.

Since June, £385,000 of repairs has strengthened a sea wall and 1,800 tonnes of granite have been delivered to defend the village.

A councillor said the road might need to be diverted eventually.

Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for the environment, told a meeting of Somerset West and Taunton Council that there is a "well-known history of instability" along that stretch of the coast.

She said the £4m spend was justified because of the "households, livelihoods and businesses at stake" that would be affected if the road was lost.

Just over £2.5m will be spent before the end of the 2020/21 financial year.

The rest will be spent by April 2022, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Ms Wakefield said: "In future, a realignment of the whole B3191 may be necessary, at a cost of many millions of pounds. But that is not on offer now."