Watchet coastal road closed indefinitely due to erosion

The B3191 Cleeve Hill has been closed indefinitely due to movement along the slope

A coastal road will remain closed indefinitely unless money can be found to fix it, a council has confirmed.

The B3191 connects Watchet and Blue Anchor on the west Somerset coast.

The road was closed by Somerset County Council on 12 January, after a survey showed ongoing erosion along the coast had accelerated.

Following more detailed inspections, the council has since confirmed it will be impossible to reopen the entire road without "major intervention".

The road is currently closed on Cleeve Hill at the Watchet end between the Daw's Castle heritage site and the Saxon Ridge residential area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The road can still be accessed from the Blue Anchor end, where a £3.7m scheme to protect the Anchor's Drop pub and neighbouring properties will start in the spring.

The council said it was considering applying to the Department for Transport for funding to save the road - but officers had advised that any grants were "highly unlikely to materialise" given the high costs involved and the practical difficulties in saving the nearby cliffs.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for transport and digital, said: "The situation with land movement in this part of the cliff is terminal; eventually the road is going to disappear into the sea.

"It's essential we keep the closure in place indefinitely for the safety of the public - the level of risk attached to keeping it open is frankly unacceptable."

John Richards, chairman of the Watchet Chamber of Trade, said action was urgently needed to reduce the impact of the road closures on businesses in and around the town.

He said: "The current situation is making it very difficult for local businesses to survive, with significantly less footfall since the road was closed.

"Shops and businesses only survive on this passing trade, so it is vital that we look at all possible solutions to mitigate this loss of business."