Council's £37m plea to re-route key cliff-top road

SOMERSET Council has written to the government asking it to provide £37 million to fund the reopening of a key coastal road.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local Democracy Reporter

The B3191 Cleeve Hill, which links Watchet to Blue Anchor, served as a key commuting route for locals, and provided a valuable diversionary route for holidaymakers whenever the A39 between Minehead and Williton was congested.

It was closed indefinitely by Somerset County Council in January 2023 due to concerns about coastal erosion and the authority confirmed last week that the road would be permanently closed to motorised traffic after Halloween despite a consultation which attracted more than 1,000 local objections.

But the council has now announced it will be pushing the government for funding to reopen the road and protect it from future coastal erosion - estimating it will cost around £37m to achieve this.