Coastal road in Somerset to remain closed as it will eventually 'disappear into the sea'

A coastal road in Somerset will remain closed indefinitely as the road will eventually "disappear into the sea"

Part of the B3191, at Cleeve Hill in Watchet, has been closed since mid-January after heavy rain accelerated the erosion of the stretch of coastline.

Somerset County Council has now said the road will remain closed indefinitely - and it is unlikely it will ever be saved.

It comes after inspections found more movement of the road is inevitable and it will be impossible to safely reopen it without major works being carried out.

The council says it has a team exploring the possibility of Government funding to save the road, but it is thought this option is highly unlikely because of the huge expense involved and practical difficulties in saving the cliff.

The English Coast Path in this area has already been diverted and the council is looking at creating cycle and road connections for residents in the area and visitors to access Watchet.

Cllr Mike Rigby, Somerset County Council’s lead member 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.

“We understand people’s concerns about losing this road and have invested £4million in works at Blue Anchor to safeguard road access for businesses and residents in the area, so that they will have an alternative route for the long-term.

“There are a couple of options laid out by our engineering experts which could potentially save the road but we have to be clear, these would be a significant in terms of undertaking and scale and with a price tag running into the many millions.”