A £2.5m project to prevent a potentially "catastrophic" landslide in the Cotswolds has been revealed by Gloucestershire County Council – but traders in the nearby town have strong views over a potential SIX MONTH road closure and delay while the work is carried out.

Shire Hall plans to present the B4058 Rushmire Hill Geotechnical Stabilisation Scheme at its cabinet meeting next week when it sets out the project in the hope of firing the starting gun for a competitive tender process for the work.

Close to the Cotswold Edge golf course, the repair area is a steep section of the B4048 on Rushmire Hill, above Wotton-under-Edge. It has been subjected to repeated repairs, monitoring and closures. The sinking  and breaking surface also includes a connecting section of Old London Road.

A Shire Hall document said the scheme "will be funded through the approved Highways Capital Programme within the Landslip category", and that the cost is estimated to be £2.5m, "split between investigation and design at £0.6m and construction at £1.9m".

The contract, which will be procured as one job for detailed design, investigation and construction, will span two financial years until 2026 and will be paid out of the landslip capital programme, which has a current approved budget of £3.5m.

Initial estimates for the work suggest it will begin in March 2025 and have a target for completion in the autumn – although 2026 is not ruled out of GCC's forecast.

The report added: "Intervention now will prevent further movement and the risk of more catastrophic failure, which risks resulting in a longer and more costly repair programme. The work is therefore seen as priority for investment when considered against other priorities within the wider geotechnical programme."

But some retailers in Wotton-under-Edge say any closures ahead of Christmas 2025 could be bad for visiting trade. 

One shop owner told Punchline-Gloucester.com: "The road has been closed on and off in the past and it's clearly on the slide because it's pounded by lorries using it as a short cut for between the M5 and the M4. I don't think we should pick up this bill and if they had restricted HGVs in the first place, the road, which has been there for centuries, wouldn't have needed this."

However, not all businesses agree. Chris Hull, owner of Good Food on the Edge greengrocery and an adjacent bistro restaurant, said: "You can look at this the other way. If it's harder to get out of town, footfall may be increased by people staying local, rather than heading out of town to Lidl."

Inspection reports from Shire Hall date back to 2016 on the road, with ongoing monitoring since then, while ground investigations in 2018 and last year have sought to detect the root issue for the slippage using groundwater and ground movement monitoring equipment.

Options for repair to be agreed with a contractor will include preliminary design of the final option of a sheet pile retaining wall, which GCC says is currently being developed through detailed design.

The report added: "Construction works will be challenging due to numerous site constraints such as land ownership, ground conditions and limited working space due to the failing carriageway. And if the council does nothing, it said: "The current state of the highway will continue to deteriorate, resulting in an indefinite road closure and ongoing increased maintenance costs."

Cllr Linda Cohen (Wotton-under-Edge, Lid Dem) told Punchline: "It really has been a bolt out of the blue and we are in preliminary stages, but the issues are very similar to what is presented on Frocester Hill."

No detail as yet was set on the dates for the work, she added.

"In terms of HGV use and responsibility, there may be a case to answer as far as any involved business is concerned, but there is a trend across the county that roads are under more pressure, with more traffic, and more roads moving.

"I know £2.5m in anybody's book is clearly a great deal of money, particularly when I am trying to find relatively tiny amounts of money to save Wotton's bus service, but if it is the difference between the road falling down and having another Aberfan crashing on people's heads then probably that's money well spent."

After repeated closures and delays, she was hopeful for a permanent remedy.

She added: "While it goes on, I will be working to mitigate with Highways to ensure that at least one of the roads out of Wotton, the B4058 or Old London Road, remains open during this work."