SOMERSET Council this week submitted a bid for £40 million of Government funding to reopen the B3191 coastal road at Cleeve Hill, Watchet, on the last day of the deadline, leaving stakeholders in the dark about what the application actually contains.

If successful, the funding would pay for 383 yards of new highway to replace the crumbling road closed to traffic for the past three years.

Discussions over which of six possible options was most likely to attract a grant from the Government’s £1 billion Structures Fund started in April.

Building an inland link road, known as Option D, was only chosen six working days before the August 3 deadline.

If a grant is awarded, the road must be completed by March, 2030.

The Department for Transport will announce the successful bids in October.

Watchet Chamber of Trade chairman John Richards said: “Of course, we are praying the bid is successful.

“Watchet desperately needs the coastal link road to be reopened.

“But, the people of Watchet and other affected areas have not a clue about what is in the application.

“Everything was done in such a rush and there was no consultation with the stakeholders about what the application contains.

“We have seen nothing and can only hope that they have got it right.”

The road was closed in January, 2023, after coastal cliff movement was detected.

A further geotechnical survey recommended it be kept closed to ensure the safety of the travelling public.

A council spokesperson said: “This week, the council has submitted its bid to the Government’s Structures Fund for a significant contribution toward what would be around a £40 million scheme, subject to further detailed design work, to reinstate the B3191, either by making the existing route safe for vehicles or by redirecting the route further inland.”

Somerset executive Cllr Richard Wilkins said: “There is, of course, no guarantee that we will be successful, but we must remain optimistic.

“Securing this funding is competitive, local authorities from across the country will be bidding for a portion of it.

“This has the support of all the local councillors, as well as many other stakeholders and businesses.

“It is the first real chance we have had to find a way to reinstate this vital route for the community since it closed in 2023.

“We will be pushing hard for this funding, as we have been doing from the start.

“We know the impact on the community of only having one road into Watchet, and the potential impact on the West Somerset traffic that has to take long diversions if the A39 has to close due to an incident.

“We consulted our communities about the ongoing closure and they told us that it is having a major effect on the economy of Watchet, including the cost to the local economy and the inconvenience in terms of hours lost in delays, the logistics of coping with delivering goods to and from Minehead, as well as the negative effects on tourism.”