Homes near busy Castle Cary road could be protected in £8.4m funding bid
Somerset Council says the work would improve safety and reduce future disruption
Homes near one of Castle Cary’s busiest roads could be protected from landslips if Somerset Council secures more than £8.4 million from central government.
The council is seeking the money from the Department for Transport’s structures fund for work on the A371 Ansford Hill, near Castle Cary railway station.
The road links Castle Cary with the A303 via Wincanton, as well as Evercreech, Shepton Mallet and Wells to the north.
Somerset Council says the embankment on the northern side of Ansford Hill has had “localised instability” for a number of years.
Material has slipped onto the road, causing disruption for drivers and HGVs, while the landslips have also threatened to undermine the foundations of nearby homes.
The total estimated cost of the work is £11,224,805.
Somerset Council is seeking £8,418,511 from the Department for Transport, with the remaining £2,806,294 coming from its local transport plan.
The work would include stabilising the bank through sheet piling, improving the retaining wall on the southern side of the road, and resurfacing the carriageway.
New pedestrian crossings are also planned to provide a safer route between the town centre and Castle Cary railway station.
The crossings would also support people living in two potential housing developments near Ansford Hill, including 200 homes at Station Green and 49 homes accessed from Burfitt Road.
Liberal Democrat councillor Henry Hobhouse, who represents Castle Cary, raised concerns at Somerset Council’s executive committee about the impact of a wet winter on the bank.
He said council highways teams had reassured him the area is now being inspected weekly.
If the government funding is approved, the council says it would allow more of the work to be delivered together rather than through separate closures over several years.
Work is expected to begin in autumn 2027, regardless of the outcome of the funding bid.
The council says this timing is intended to avoid clashing with Glastonbury Festival and the peak tourist season.
A Somerset Council spokesperson said: “This funding would enable the delivery of a more comprehensive package of improvements, including enhanced structural interventions to both the northern embankment and southern retaining wall, localised carriageway and footway widening, upgraded pedestrian crossing facilities and wider active travel enhancements.
“We believe that delivering these additional improvements as part of a single coordinated scheme would maximise value for money, improve the long-term resilience of the highway asset, enhance safety for all road users and reduce the need for future disruption.”