A beloved coastal road in Cowbar, near Staithes, is “at immediate risk of collapse”, a new report has revealed. According to a report for Redcar and Cleveland Council, the cliff beside Cowbar Lane, made up of Jurassic-era rocks, is steadily being worn away by waves and heavy rainfall, leading to landslides and slips.
It is now at “immediate risk of collapse” due to a “significant rockfall event” last year, the council said. Originally, work to divert the road was not scheduled to begin until the early 2030s. However, the latest guidance recommends accelerating the first phase to 2027.
The report said: “We now need to proceed at pace with the design of the realigned road and associated activity.”
The diversion, described as a “managed retreat,” will move the road southwards from the cliff edge in three stages over the next 50 years.
The urgency comes as cottages, notably Cowbar Cottages, a hamlet of 23 cottages located immediately behind the road, and the north side of Staithes Harbour, where there are 21 properties, including a lifeboat station, the RNLI Lifeboat Station and a Yorkshire Water pumping station, have no alternative access routes. Losing the road would therefore mean abandoning the nearby properties and relocating both the lifeboat station and the water pumping station, according to the report.
The council has reportedly proposed awarding a contract to engineering consultancy AtkinsRealisUK and is preparing an application for up to £250,000 in funding from the Environment Agency.
Redcar & Cleveland Council wrote: “The cliff face at Cowbar Cottages is experiencing progressive erosion from direct wave attack and heavy rain triggering slips and mudslides.
“This situation has been ongoing historically. Cowbar Lane is at the cliff edge in this location and is now at immediate risk of collapse according to a recently received report into the significant rockfall event last year.
“The road is the only vehicle access to Cowbar Cottages (a hamlet of 23 cottages immediately behind the road) and the north side of Staithes Harbour (where there are 21 properties including the RNLI Lifeboat Station and a Yorkshire Water Pumping Station).
“Loss of this access road would result in abandonment of the properties and relocation of the RNLI Lifeboat Station and Yorkshire Water Pumping Station as there are no viable alternative access routes.”