Plans to Move Road to Protect from Erosion

South Tyneside Council is inviting people to find out more about its plans to reposition a section of a coastal route.

A study carried out in 2019 highlighted that parts of the A183 Coast Road in South Shields are likely to be compromised in the future, because of ongoing erosion of the cliff face and cave formations.

The council is therefore proposing to reposition the highway between the Lime Kilns and the caravan site, near Marsden Grotto. This would move the road away from the clifftop at the tightest point, while the existing road would be returned to grassland.

It is expected that this realignment would extend the lifespan of the coastal route by around 50 years. A longer-term option will be explored once the new road is in place.

A video explaining more about the proposed scheme is now available to view on the council's YouTube channel.

Cllr Mark Walsh, Lead Member for Housing and Transport, said: "The A183 is a popular route with both residents and visitors as it showcases our stunning coastline.

"Currently the future of the road near Marsden Grotto is at risk due to coastal erosion and the formation of caves.

"However, our proposal to realign this section of Marsden Grotto will protect the route for years to come, whilst being sympathetic to the area's natural and historical features.

"We have a preliminary design and we've produced a video showing how the repositioned road would look.

"We hope this will be informative but if anyone has any further questions or feedback, they can get in touch with our project team."

The council appointed consultant Capita to produce a preliminary design, which has enabled further investigations to be carried out ahead of the submission of a planning application later this year.

Measures have already been taken in relation to the coastal path and this has now been 'rolled back' to a safe location away from the cliff edge in conjunction with the landowner, the National Trust.

Subject to planning approval and the development of a detailed design, the project is likely to get underway in 2022.

In the meantime, the Council would like to give people the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the plans. The deadline for comments is Friday, February 26.

As well as the YouTube video https://youtu.be/PtQ0Fi1QeA8 further information can be found at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/coastroad. This will be updated regularly as the project progresses.

There will also be a presentation about the project at the East Shields and Whitburn CAF at 6pm on Thursday 11 February. Visit  www.southtyneside.gov.uk/watchcouncilmeetings.

Alternatively, the Council's Coast Road Team can be contacted directly on Tel: (0191) 427 7000 or email: coastroadteam@southtyneside.gov.uk