Rural community fears being cut off by landslip

People living in a small coastal community in North Yorkshire say they fear being cut off this winter after a landslip caused the closure of the only road in and out of the village.

To pick up shopping and take their children to school, residents of Browside, near Ravenscar, will instead have to use a disused railway track that connects Scarborough and Whitby.

The alternative route is a 12-mile (19km) detour, which neighbours claim would be unsuitable in bad weather.

North Yorkshire Council said the landslip-hit road had had to be closed for public safety and the alternative Cinder Track - a walking and cycle route on the former railway - would be maintained to ensure access.

Parents Monika and David Bowes live in the community with their two young children and have a cottage business overlooking Robin Hood's Bay.

"The road is closed so we’ve got no access on a traditional road to school, to shops, to the GP surgery, the normal things people would take for granted," Mr Bowes said.

"The alternative we’ve been given is a disused railway line which we don’t think is safe, particularly in the winter."

He explained their village was 600ft (183m) above sea level and bad weather would make the steep route impassable.

The family worried this would mean the school commute would not be manageable.

"The kids go to Lindhead School and Scalby School, towards Scarborough, and the diversion takes us completely the opposite direction," Mr Bowes added.

"For a four-year-old, it's an hour to school, two hours each day. It's not acceptable in the long term."

Pointing to the damaged road, which had crumbled away, Mrs Bowes said: "We need to get it fixed before winter sets in.

"If not, my children will not get to school, we will not get groceries and the community will be totally cut off."

Les and Margaret Atkinson also feared for what the landslip meant for their village.

"My big concern is my husband had a heart attack in January and it was a 999 ambulance job to James Cook [hospital] in Middlesbrough," Mrs Atkinson said.

"I don’t know whether an ambulance now would find us."

With vehicles having to divert along the Cinder Track, Mrs Atkinson worried it would take too long and feared what this could mean for other neighbours.

"We’ve got a lady that’s 92 and another 87, so health is a big thing for me and just getting out to do the shopping every day," she added.

The community has not yet been given a timeline for permanent repairs.

Councillor Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transport, said: "The landslip at Stoupe Brow has forced us to close the road to ensure public safety.

"It is a complex situation and we appreciate the inconvenience the closure is causing."

He said the alternative route for access to the A171 was "passable with care" after improvements had been made in recent years.

More localised repairs would also be made to make sure access was maintained from the Cinder Track to properties.

"We are in regular contact with residents, the parish council and local councillor, and will provide updates when we can," Mr Duncan added.

"In the meantime, we remind road users that it is unsafe to drive through the section of the road that is closed."

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