Somerset MP seeks urgent funding for ‘crucial’ coastal road

A Member of Parliament has called upon the recently appointed transport secretary to allocate immediate funding for the reopening of a “crucial” coastal road located in Somerset. The B3191 Cleeve Hill, connecting Watchet and Blue Anchor, has been inaccessible to motor vehicles since January 2023 due to concerns regarding coastal erosion. While the route was made available again for pedestrians and cyclists earlier in the current year, Somerset Council indicated that restoring access for cars, motorbikes, and lorries would necessitate a “major intervention”. Rachel Gilmour, the Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Minehead, stated: “This road is a crucial link in west Somerset, and I hope that the government will be able to see the benefits.” Gilmour presented her appeal through a written parliamentary question, inquiring if Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander MP would “allocate funding to rebuild the B3191 between Watchet and Blue Anchor”. The recent budget contained a commitment to inject an additional £500m into “local roads maintenance” during the 2025/26 financial year, supplementing £1.6m designated for the “maintain and renew the nation’s roads”. Gilmour commented: “Improving transport links across the constituency is one of my key missions.” She further added: “If we are going to tackle the issue of social mobility in west Somerset, improving transport connections is the crucial next step in increasing the number of opportunities for residents.” In March 2023, the council projected that realigning the Cleeve Hill segment of the road inland would incur costs ranging from £30m to £60m. For the last two years, the road has undergone close monitoring by the independent company Geckoella, which has been providing counsel to Somerset Council regarding developments along the west Somerset coastline. The Blue Anchor section of the B3191 has received protection against further coastal erosion via a £3.5m coastal defence initiative, involving the placement of granite rock armour beneath the Anchor’s Drop pub from May to November 2023. The Wessex flood and coastal committee of the Environment Agency (EA) had previously allocated £1.5m for coastal defence projects in the Watchet vicinity, and this funding is still accessible. However, despite the EA confirming in December 2023 that no time limits apply to the expenditure of these funds, Somerset Council has declared that the money is specifically earmarked for coastal protection efforts and thus cannot be directly applied to a new road construction.