Somerset Council accused of double standards over Yeovil road repairs
Council defends differing responses to landslips as local councillor questions why one long-closed rural route remains shut while major A30 repairs are fast-tracked
Somerset Council has faced accusations of hypocrisy as work continues to reopen a key road between Yeovil and the neighbouring villages.
The council has been working to reopen the A30 Hendford Hill in both directions after Storm Chandra caused tress to fall into the road and the steep bank to slip.
The road is currently open only to southbound traffic, leading to longer journey times for those wishing to travel between Yeovil and the neighbouring villages or those taking the back road to Crewkerne or Chard when the A303 is congested.
Councillor Oliver Patrick, who represents the neighbouring Coker division, has been campaigning for the re-opening of Chinnock Hollow, which linked East Chinnock to the western edge of Yeovil until its closure in February 2021 following a landslide.
Mr Patrick said it was unfair that this rural road should remain closed when other, similar ‘holloways’ across the Yeovil area had been cleared, and queried whether it could be reopened to pedestrians and cyclists until a permanent solution could be implemented.
The council said it was “not appropriate” to compare Chinnock Hollow to Hendford Hill, adding that it “did not intend to review” its position in the near-future.
Mr Patrick raised the issue in a written question before the full council met in Bridgwater on March 4 to set its annual budget.
He asked: “Consultants said that clearing and monitoring Chinnock Hollow was – and I quote directly from their final report to the council – ‘an effective solution to reduce the risk to the public that allows the highway to be reopened.’
“Meanwhile, just last month a substantial landslip occurred from a vertical rock-face, geologically identical to Chinnock Hollow, at Hendford Hill on the A30 into Yeovil.
“What happened? The road was cleared and reopened.
“The same approach has been taken at many other places – Collarway Lane in
West Coker, Snails Hill in West Chinnock, Skillgate Lane and East Street in
Chiselborough, Green Lane in East Chinnock and Snapant in Lopen.
“Residents in my division see significant landslips being cleared away and they
wonder why Chinnock Hollow has been singled out for special treatment.
“This is not about whether landslips are serious – of course they are. This is about why one road, Chinnock Hollow, has been subjected to a different
standard from others.”
Mr Patrick claimed that the council had already spent £24,402 to maintain the closure of Chinnock Hollow – including the cost of a permanent fence and alterations to local traffic signs.
He asked: “Please can you set out how much it has cost to clear the landslip at Hendford Hill and remove nearly 100 trees using specialist tree surgeons?
“Given the recent ‘clear and monitor’ approach at Hendford Hill, as well as a number of other landslips locally, will you now review your position on Chinnock Hollow given that no significant slope failure has been observed in the five years since its closure, thus bringing it into line with its current approach to land slip incidents elsewhere?
“If there is no intention to reopen Chinnock Hollow to vehicles, will you consider re-designating it as an active travel route for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders – as was done at the B3191 Cleeve Hill in Watchet, which is closed to motorised vehicles but open to pedestrians and cyclists?”
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, responded he was unable to confirm the cost of clearing Hendford Hill since work to clear and secure the route was still ongoing.
He said: “As with all such land stability issues, our primary concern is to keep people safe.
“I must point out, however, that any plan for managing the road network must obviously reflect the role and function of the route.
“Clearly it is not appropriate to compare the operation of the A30 – which carries strategic traffic movements across the county, and indeed the region – to that of a minor rural lane. Obviously, our response to issues at these locations will differ.
“I do not intend to review the approach to managing the risk at Chinnock Hollow and have had correspondence from various parties confirming that the notion of trying to re-open the road does not have universal support.”
Regarding the Cleeve Hill comparison, Mr Wilkins said that it was not possible to reopen Chinnock Hollow as an active travel route since the risks to the public were not comparable.
He said: “The decision to re-open Cleeve Hill to pedestrians and cyclists related to the light weight of those users being unlikely to exacerbate the risk of failure of the cliff.
“The steep, unstable slopes and trees at Chinnock Hollow present a similar risk to pedestrians and cyclist as to car drivers, so it would not be possible to open the road for those users.”
Mr Wilkins (who represents the Curry Rivel and Langport division) said he would write to ministers for a third time requesting support to reopen Cleeve Hill, noting that the government “seems not to understand the importance of the issue”.
A detailed geotechnical assessment of Hendford Hill has revealed that the road is “continuing to show instability” despite the initial repairs that have been made.
The risks include the potential for falling rocks, root movement affecting sandstone layers, overhanging soil dropping away, weathered sandstone flaking off, and material being dislodged by tree movement.
Mr Wilkins said: “It is vital we reopen both lanes as soon as possible –- we’re aiming for a few weeks at the most to get the work done.
“A number of options were looked at – at this point we have chosen the plan that can open both lanes quickly, so ensuring any debris that does potentially come lose cannot reach the road.
“In time, we will look at a more comprehensive plan – but this would need significant funding.
“Any option will need to be costed and designed, but we are moving at pace with this work due to the importance of the A30 locally and regionally.
“Doing nothing is obviously not an option, with the very real potential for further slippage.”