A question on whether additional works in reopening the landslide-hit coastal path between Wiseman’s Bridge and Coppet Hall/Saundersfoot - will lead to council service cuts is to be heard this week.
The coast path known as the Tramway, experienced ‘substantial rock falls’ late last year and in January.
The January major fall happened at the Coppet Hall end of this section of path, while the November landslides were closer toward the Wisemans Bridge end of the path.
Pembrokeshire County Council has said that the work to stabilise the cliffs and tunnels so that the path can be re-opened is likely to cost around £600,000.
Welsh Government Active travel fund grants were recently awarded for the works, with £452,000 to build a shared use path at The Ridgeway/The Incline, Saundersfoot, and £300,019 for Wisemans Bridge.
At the March meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, members backed the works, with a hoped-for finish date of the start of the summer holidays.
However, the council recently said those works had now been delayed until early August “as a consequence of additional works required, including the occurrence of another landslip along the path,” with additional remedial works needed.
A question submitted to the July 18 meeting Pembrokeshire County Council, by Cllr Alan Dennison, will ask: “In the Cabinet meeting of March 11, the following was resolved: That the inclusion of the Saundersfoot to Wiseman’s Bridge cycle track cliff stabilisation works (‘the Scheme’) in the capital programme, at a capital cost of £600,000 in 2024-25, be approved, noting that this is a cost to be met by council funds unless external funding is secured to reduce this cost commitment. It is now paused pending further stabilisation works that are required.
“Can the Cabinet member confirm whether the land that has slipped is council owned or private land and if council, what further cuts will have to be made to services to fund the cost to stabilise the cliff?”
Cllr Dennison’s question will be heard at the full council meeting.