A Somerset MP has urged the transport secretary to visit Watchet to see the “damaging impact” the closure of a key coastal road is having on the town’s businesses.
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.
The road was closed indefinitely by Somerset County Council in January 2023 due to concerns about coastal erosion – and while pedestrians and cyclists have been able to use the route since the spring of 2024, motorised vehicles are still banned along this entire stretch.
Somerset Council (which replaced the county council in April 2023) confirmed on Monday (May 19) that it would be making an order to permanently close the road until funding to divert the route inland became available – similar to what it recently implemented with the closure of Chinnock Hollow near Yeovil.
Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has criticised this “disappointing” decision and has personally requested that transport secretary Heidi Alexander MP visit Watchet to witness the closure’s negative impact first-hand.
Mrs Gilmour has made restoring this road link a key priority since she was elected, referencing it multiple times during an event held at the East Quay venue in Watchet in mid-January.
Speaking on Monday (May 19), she said: “Improving transport links across my constituency of Tiverton and Minehead is one of my key missions as an MP, which is why it was disappointing today to learn of the permanent closure status of the B3191. It was, however, in many ways, inevitable.
“The B3191 between Watchet and Blue Anchor is a crucial link in west Somerset, and I am well aware of the damaging impact this road closure has on the local economy in Watchet and Blue Anchor, as well as the wider west Somerset community.
“The government needs to wake up to the realities that communities in our constituency face and allocate new funding to rebuild this crucial road link.
“Last week, I wrote to the secretary of state for transport, inviting her to the constituency to see our transport issues like the dire state of the B3191 for herself, showcasing the benefits that a rebuild would bring to the area.
“The inclusion of the ‘Watchet Coastal Erosion Package’ as one of the investment priorities in the Peninsula Transport strategic investment plan is a positive next step, and I will continue to put pressure on the government to secure new funding for a rebuild project.”
The Peninsula Transport sub-national transport body brings together elected representatives from Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, with its strategic investment plan identifying key priorities for future government investment in infrastructure (including major road schemes and rail improvements).
The plan includes the ‘Watchet Coastal Erosion Package’, which seeks to secure between £20m and £50m for “coastal and highways measures, cliff
wall stabilisation and a B3191 diversion” – whether wholly funded by government or with contributions from housing developers.
Somerset Council said it needed to replace the existing temporary traffic regulation order (TRO) with a permanent one due to funding not being available to realign the road inland – but added it was still committed to exploring all options to secure funding.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, 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.
“We have 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.”
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