PARISH councillors in West Somerset this week called for ‘an immediate plan’ to resolve the closure of the B3191 road at Cleeve Hill.

The demands by Old Cleeve Parish Council came ahead of a drop-in session being held in Watchet on Thursday by Somerset County Council to allow people to directly ask questions about the issue.

The road was initially closed in January when a geotechnical survey highlighted the risk of subsidence, following which the county said the danger was so great the road would likely remain closed indefinitely unless major funding could be found to re-route it.

The B3191 passes through Old Cleeve and was described by parish clerk Dr Alison Flind as ‘a vital road for residents to access local services’.

Dr Flind said it was also one of two classified roads providing access to and from West Somerset for the many tourists and visitors to the area each year.

She said residents in Washford and Bilbrook on the A39 were now having to deal with extra traffic which would usually have used the B3191.

Dr Flind said it appeared the county council had neither prepared a long-term solution nor planned for the road closure and parish councillors therefore wanted it to take urgent action.

The Old Cleeve councillors said the county should immediately prepare a traffic management plan to deal with the current situation, which they said was caused ‘wholly by the lack of forward planning by the county council’.

Dr Flind said: “Putting up road closure signs and hoping for the best is not sustainable.

“The plan needs to implement agreed measures to address the speed, size, weight, and volume of vehicles and provide better protection for vulnerable road users.

“The costs of any measures need to be met by the highway authority and be seen as a consequence of the decision to close the road indefinitely.”

The councillors also wanted the county to identify and implement a permanent solution to allow a B3191 route to be re-opened at the earliest opportunity.

“We realise this is a complex issue, but merely acknowledging this will not resolve the issue,” said Dr Flind.

“An agreed solution must be identified very quickly if there is any hope of securing funding for it.

“We do not believe there will be any chance of funding while there is no solution.”

Dr Flind said Old Cleeve councillors were ready to work with Carhampton Parish Council and the county or the new unitary authority to discuss the issues and agree solutions.

Thursday’s county council drop-in session takes place in Watchet’s Phoenix Centre from 4 pm to 7 pm.