Chinnock Hollow rat run will not be closed permanently

A popular alternative route might reopen eventually, after a proposal to permanently close it was defeated.

Chinnock Hollow runs from the A30 High Street in East Chinnock to Yeovil, but has been closed since February 2021 following a landslide.

Somerset Council said last year that it "could not justify" spending around £2.7m on reopening the road.

It subsequently launched a consultation over a traffic regulation order which would have closed the road permanently.

This order has now been scrapped, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Of the 44 people who directly responded to the council's consultation in late-2023, some 39 objected to the permanent closure, with three being in favour and two being neutral towards the proposals.

In its official response, the council's highways department said there was "no realistic prospect" of obtaining funding to reopen the road at this time - but noted the strength of public feeling regarding any permanent closure.

A spokesperson said: "The community strongly objected to a permanent traffic regulation order (TRO) as they were concerned that it would signal the end of any interest in opening it, which is understood.

"The temporary closure will be reviewed in advance of its expiry date."

The existing temporary TRO will officially expire on 14 March.

In a joint statement, Mike Hewitson and Oliver Patrick, who have represented East Chinnock, welcomed the council's decision - but warned it did not mean the road would reopen any time soon.

They said: "We're pleased to share the news that the permanent legal closure order will not be sealed as the council listened to local concerns.

"Unfortunately, as can be seen in recent images of the site, the slopes of Chinnock Hollow are very active.

"It may be true that a local has cleared the 2021 landslip, but it's also true that it cannot be reopened to the public without work to make the slopes safer for road users."

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]