Traders sign petition calling for reopening of closed coastal route to Watchet

A GROUP of nearly 30 Watchet businesses have signed a petition declaring they were “appalled” by the lack of action over the closure of the B3191 coastal road at Cleve Hill and urging the authorities to reposition the existing road further inland to give at least another 50 years of safe use.

The petition, with an accompanying statement, will be presented to the town council at a surgery held by the authority tomorrow (Saturday) at Watchet Visitors’ Centre, with an urgent request that it be sent to the county and district councils and the highways authority.

The latest campaign joins others organised by Watchet Chamber of Trade (WACET) and the town council to reopen the road closed by the threat of collapse since January 12.

Roy Chave, of the Esplanade Club, who with wife Helen organised the traders’ campaign, told the Free Press: “Our view is that the road should be moved back as it was many years before, and that walkers and cyclists should be allowed back as soon as possible.

“When the East Quay harbour wall failed a couple of years ago the district council sprang into action to fix it with a great fanfare. Surely the same response should apply to the failure of the road at Cleeve Hill as this has the same disastrous consequences for Watchet? 

Mrs Chave added: “Everyone needs to pull together for the common good. We were amazed at the strength of feeling voiced by local businesses and people, and their outrage at the lack of action or a plan to fix the situation by officials and highways despite the likelihood of the road failing being on the cards for years. 

“There is a great deal of anger at the apathy shown towards solving this very urgent problem judging from the response we’ve had in a short space of time.”

Under the heading: “Doing nothing is simply not an option,” the statement from Watchet businesses reads: “To say that it is not affordable to replace this major road link to our town is not acceptable and short-sighted beyond belief.

“Not only does this close off the town from Blue Anchor - having a disastrous effect on trade - but it also takes away the means to divert traffic from the A39 in the event of an accident which unfortunately is an increasingly common occurrence.

“At a meeting organised by WACET, we learned that any scheme to fix the problem could take as long as five years but then we read that, according to County Councillor Mike Rigby, there was no money available and that therefore nothing will be done.  

“Why is this apathy not being challenged? Yes, we know there are major safety issues to overcome with the instability of the land plus coastal erosion but these problems are surely not insurmountable in this day and age?  The road was rerouted for the same reasons years ago and has lasted well for years since.

“We are only looking at a very short stretch of highway.  The further over the road can be repositioned from its existing unsafe proximity to the cliff, the safer it will become even if this only gives another 50 years of safe use. 

“Money was found to shore up the cliff and the railway at Blue Anchor so the same should apply to Cleeve Hill at Watchet.” The statement added: “While everyone is scurrying around, what is the county council doing? Winding down to retirement, presumably. Surely this is an ideal opportunity for the new unitary authority, which is about to take over governance, to make their mark in a positive way by sorting out this terrible situation?”