THE Government is to be urged to stump up tens of millions of pounds to re-route a road to a cut-off West Somerset community.

Local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger is to press Ministers to start formulating a long-term solution to the unstable cliff problems at Cleeve Hill, Watchet.

He said the impact of the closure of the B3191 as it is falling into the sea on the approach to the port was being keenly felt this summer despite a special financial aid package.

He said once the summer recess is over he intends to start making fresh approaches to Government about re-routing the road.

The B3191 has been closed since the winter when cliff falls led engineers to declare it unsafe, warning it could collapse onto the beach at any moment.

READ MORE: Cliff road closed indefinitely.

The closure has dealt Watchet a harsh economic blow, isolating it from caravan sites at Warren Bay and in Blue Anchor which previously provided valuable summer income for local shops.

The bill for moving the road to a new inland line has been put at anything from £30million to £60million.

But said Mr Liddell-Grainger, the idea should not be written off merely on the grounds of cost.

READ MORE: £30,000 boost to Watchet after road closure.

He added: “We have to assess all the benefits re-opening the road would bring, not merely in terms of trade for Watchet but in providing once more an alternative route in and out of furthest West Somerset on those frequent occasions when the A39 is closed because of an accident.

“Once you start to calculate the colossal economic impact of having thousands of journeys disrupted and delayed, possibly by hours, the economic case for shifting the B3191 to a new line starts to stack up.

“Somerset Council and all the other agencies involved now need to start constructing a solid business case for the retention of the B3191 in order that we can make a concerted and well-argued approach to Government for the funds to be found.”