Repairs to coast in Blue Anchor, West Somerset, now complete

Blue Anchor, which lies between Minehead and Watchet, has been subject to rapid coastal erosion for the last few decades, threatening the eponymous pub, the neighbouring properties and the crucial B3191 coast road.

Somerset West and Taunton Council has been undertaking emergency repairs to this stretch of the west Somerset coast, installing rock armour to prevent the pub from falling into the sea.

Less than two days after this work was completed, the council has given a final commitment to making further long-term repairs in order to protect both the coast and the road in the decades to come.

What has happened so far?

The sea defences at Blue Anchor are a mixture of angled concrete walls, constructed between the 1920s and 1980s.

The council undertook the first phase of emergency repairs after two “significant” holes in part of the wall were discovered in early-June.

In early-November, 1,800 tonnes of granite rock armour were delivered to Blue Anchor Bay by boat for the second phase of repairs, designed to shore up the base of the cliff to prevent further landslides.

Both stages of emergency repairs were funded by the Environment Agency (EA) to the tune of £385,000, to ensure Blue Anchor was protected during the winter storms.

Cara Strom, owner of the Blue Anchor pub, posted a photo of the completed repairs on social media on Monday (November 30), quipping: “Well that looks better!”.

Rock Armour Arriving At Blue Anchor In Early-November. Pic: Somerset West And Taunton Council.

What will be done in secure the long-term future of the coast?

Less than 48 hours later, the council gave the final sign-off to a £4M scheme which will see the cliffs and a further 130 metres of the coast stabilised and “regraded” to prevent long-term erosion.

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for the environment, told a virtual full council meeting on Tuesday evening (December 1): “There’s a well-known history of instability along this coast, but particularly at this point.

“We have now completed works to protect the toe of the cliff, setting out 1,800 tonnes of granite which was brought from Cornwall by boat. This will help, but is not a long-term fix for the cliff collapse.

“Somerset County Council has recently reassessed their highway at this point, and have at least agreed that its integrity is and will be undermined by further collapse at this point.

“This part of the coastline is designated as a ‘hold the line’ part by the EA – so we are not in a position simply to abandon it.”

When will the money be spent?

The new scheme will be funded by the EA and the Department for Transport’s highway grants to the county council – but will be delivered through the district council under its coastal protection remit.

Of the £4M which was committed by the county council in September, just over £2.5M will be spent before the end of the current financial year, with the remainder being spent by April 2022.

Ms Wakefield said it was justifiable to spend this much money at Blue Anchor despite the relatively small number of properties which would be impacted.

She said: “Some may consider it a finger in the dyke only; however, there are households, livelihoods and businesses at stake here, of which those who live and work in the area will be only too aware.

“In future, a realignment of the whole B3191 may be necessary, at a cost of many millions of pounds. But that is not on offer now.”

In addition to the upfront cost of the scheme, the district council will be provided with an annual sum by the county council to maintain the coastal protection in future.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for planning policy and transport, said it was “excellent news” that this work was finally being undertaken.

He added: “Many businesses rely on access being maintained through this road.

“We are taking swift action to make sure that as the winter storm season approaches, no further damage is done and that road and the adjoining properties are kept in place.”

Rock Armour Delivered To Blue Anchor. Pic: Daniel Mumby.

What about the Watchet stretch of the road?

The £4M scheme approved on Tuesday (December 1) only concerns the B3191 at Blue Anchor.

The EA revealed in September that up to £28.1M could be spent on realigning the B3191 Cleeve Hill at Watchet inland to prevent that section of the coast road from falling into the sea.

Work on this end of the coast road is at a much earlier stage, but the EA aims for this and related protection measures to be completed by 2025.

Councillor Ian Aldridge, whose Watchet and Williton ward includes both sites, said the work at Blue Anchor would help to attract funding for the Watchet scheme in the coming years.

He said: “In the 40 years that I’ve lived in this area, since 1979, I’ve only seen three major schemes on west Somerset’s roads – on the A39 and A358.

“This is a B-road, but it is a vital route at times, and a useful route in taking light traffic of the A39 between Washford Cross and Carhampton – which avoids bottlenecks on the A39 at Washford and Bilbrook.

“This [the Blue Anchor scheme] shows a commitment to the principle of preserving this route, and the other weak points will therefore had a better leverage on funding from external sources should the need arise.”