TWO years and £1 million later, Watchet harbour is once more watertight as the last touches were this week completed on the rebuilt wall at Splash Point and a new set of steps giving the public access to the beach.

A smooth-faced wall of massive interlocking concrete blocks replaced the 160-year-old structure that caved in during a gale in December 2019. Two months later, Storm Ciara caused a further major collapse which threatened to swamp the marina.

Further emergency repair work costing £175,000 was carried out while Somerset West and Taunton council raised more than £1 million for the design and build of a permanent solution, £900,000 of which came from external borrowing through its capital programme.

The steps and the east pier will be re-opened to the public within the next few weeks after contractors have removed plant and equipment from the site.

“We are delighted with the result and considering the problems there have been with the weather and the pandemic, delays have been absolutely minimal,” said Chris Hall, Somerset West and Taunton council’s assistant director for climate change and assets.

“The design has already been tested by a storm and severe weather. It is performing exactly as we hoped it would and provides the permanent solution we were aiming for.

“The harbour should now be secure for the foreseeable future but we will continue to monitor the situation to check that everything continues to work as it should.

“It has taken a long time to overcome major problems and setbacks and make the harbour safe once more, but happily we have got there in the end.”