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BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
B3191 Cleeve Hill closure U-turn demanded by residents
More than 1,000 people have signed a letter demanding a council reverses its decision to permanently close a coastal B3191 in Watchet, Somerset, was hit with a permanent traffic regulation order in May, after it was found to be too unstable to allow vehicles through due to coastal James Wright said the closure was "hurting people" and coastal communities needed to be listened cliff-side road, known locally as Cleeve Hill, remains accessible to pedestrians and cyclists and Somerset Council said it was committed to finding new ways of funding a solution. The road had been temporarily closed to traffic since January Wright said 1,152 residents had signed his letter opposing the road being shut permanently. He added: "Blue Anchor and Watchet are both difficult to reach places... and local connectivity is so important."The permanent closure meant the council lost the responsibility to keep that road open. They wouldn't have had to find an alternative. "We're hoping the council keep the temporary closure... so they have a duty to review it. We hope they listen to the people and keep the road as it is."The council said the permanent order could be reversed if needed, adding it was "committed to exploring all potential sources of funding and is continuing to lobby for transport investment in the area". A spokesperson said: "Detailed inspections following January 2023 revealed further movement was inevitable and it will be impossible to safely reopen the road to vehicles without major intervention such as creation of an alternative alignment for the road and cliff protection and stabilisation measures at Cleeve Hill. "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."
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Coastal Somerset road given permanent road closure notice
A coastal road in Somerset faces being permanently closed for safety B3191 Cleeve Hill near Watchet was closed in January 2023 because of fears of costal road was initially shut to cars under a temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), but declares safe for pedestrians and cyclists in 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 situated high on the cliffs on the coastline between Watchet and Blue 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 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 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. 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."The Council has been successful in influencing the Peninsula Transport Strategic Investment Plan which sets out agreed regional priorities for transport investment in the south west peninsula."This plan highlights the need for a Watchet Coastal Erosion Package as one of the investment priorities for the region and will be used to help prioritise regional investment as and when appropriate funding sources become available."
