By Mal Butler
Residents and businesses around the site of Leeson Road, the site of a devastating December landslide in the Bonchurch area resulting in a huge section of the coastline falling away, held a demonstration on Wednesday afternoon.
Feelings are running high after around 400 people in St Catherine’s Church, Ventnor, were told last Thursday night (February 29) that the road, the main road connecting Shanklin to the town, is to remain closed for the foreseeable future. So many people wanted to attend that more that 100 had to go home or wait patiently elsewhere for news.
At the meeting, the IW Council stressed it was keen to reopen the road as quickly as possible, with geological experts Jacobs saying it might be possible, but only after further monitoring and a real-time warning-response system is installed. Initially, the road would be restricted to a single lane, controlled by traffic lights; however it could eventually reopen fully subject to active monitoring, further surveys and ground investigations.
In the meantime, the council is working with Ventnor Town Council and Southern Vectis to extend Service 31 to Leeson Road to support local residents.
Ventnor IW Councillor Ed Blake said: “We all need Ventnor not just to survive, but to thrive.” Local resident, Daniel Ruiz, commented: “The council is clearly stuck between a rock and a hard place – unusual geology in Ventnor – and is reluctant to allow people to use Leeson Road ‘at their own risk’ as they will inevitably be held accountable in the case of an accident. The test from this meeting will be whether the feedback from residents will be heard and processed bravely and quickly.”
However, a new group being formed by resident, David Groocock, took to the street to express the residents’ displeasure at the outcome with around 50 people joining him. He said: “Our objectives will be, first and foremost, to get Leeson Road open as soon as possible.
“I see this as very much working with the Council and Island Roads by getting up to date information by keeping in regular contact with them. We can keep asking the questions to move things along and relaying this back to the wider group.
“I would be looking to perhaps get Leeson Road open in stages. The first stage would be to allow pedestrian and cycle access. The second stage would then get light traffic to use the road, perhaps with some sort of traffic management to allow traffic through in a single lane. And, thirdly, to get the road fully open once again.
“We will discuss our preferred time frame next week. We will also talk to Southern Vectis for some sort of help for the residents up and around Leeson Road, who feel cut off at the moment. In all this we should consider alternative ways of opening up when Leeson Road does eventually disappear, meaning plans must start to be formed sooner rather than later.
“Once Leeson Road is open, we will then look at the Undercliff Road, and perhaps rename the group to the A3055 group, eventually linking this into the Military Road campaign.”
Natasha Dix, the IW Council service director for environment and planning, said: “We absolutely recognise the concerns and fears of residents in Ventnor. We’re working closely with Island Roads and elected members to keep transport moving and keep the town open for business.
“The Jacobs report recommends we carry out further ground investigations and surveys before we move to reopen the road. We’ll look to do those as quickly as possible to enable this important road to reopen at the earliest opportunity, but public safety has to be our priority.”
Carole Dennett