Caravans at a Somerset holiday site will be allowed to remain permanently despite ongoing concerns about coastal erosion in the area. The site, located in the small village of Blue Anchor near Watchet, has faced numerous planning applications over recent years.
Councillor Marcus Kravis, who operates the Anchor’s Drop holiday accommodation alongside his partner Councillor Cara Strom, successfully obtained retrospective planning permission in May 2022 to site six caravans on B3191 Cleeve Hill adjacent to the former Blue Anchor Hotel. This permission initially came with the condition that the caravans be removed after five years due to worries about coastal erosion on this stretch of the west Somerset coast.
Since then, Somerset Council has invested £3.7 million in a coastal defence scheme at Blue Anchor. Granite rock armour was installed at the base of the cliffs to safeguard Anchor’s Drop and the nearby B3191 road leading to Watchet. Following these protective measures, the council’s west planning committee unanimously voted to allow the six caravans to remain permanently, citing a significant reduction in immediate risk to residents and visitors.
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Under council rules, all planning applications from serving councillors or officers must be publicly decided to ensure transparency. In a related note, a 2025 planning permission granted to Mr Kravis to expand the Arkade on Minehead’s seafront was revoked due to procedural errors and had to be reconsidered.
Speaking at the Taunton committee meeting, Mr Kravis emphasized that the proposal did not seek to intensify or materially change the approved development. He highlighted that the completion of coastal defence works significantly altered circumstances, making the continuation of a fixed five-year removal condition detrimental to the business’s sustainability. He stated, “Such a restriction limits the ability to plan, invest and maintain the site appropriately; it discourages further capital expenditure and creates unnecessary uncertainty.”
The Anchor’s Drop site has seen multiple recent planning permissions. In May 2024, Mr Kravis secured approval on appeal to install solar panels on the roof. Councillor Strom obtained permission earlier that year to reconfigure the former pub into additional holiday accommodation and was granted approval in May 2025 to convert part of the property into a shop.
During the committee discussion, Councillor Gwilym Wren expressed concerns about future cliff erosion, noting that the rock armour primarily protects the road rather than the property itself and may cause increased erosion at the edges. He suggested a future review should be considered should erosion worsen, though he was uncertain if the committee had authority to enforce this.
Councillor Derek Perry pointed out that other regulatory mechanisms beyond planning could address safety risks posed by erosion, such as health and safety laws should the caravans become unsafe. Councillor Mandy Chilcott acknowledged residual risks on the land side but agreed that any significant movement would lead to prompt evacuation of the caravans.
After about thirty minutes of discussion, the committee unanimously approved the plans, allowing the caravans to remain indefinitely.