Dear Editor,

A day and a half’s careful work with a reasonably lightweight digger has all but cleared Belgrave Road! All the bull++++ and delays that have come from County Hall, Island Roads and – sadly – the Ventnor Town Council are now laid completely bare by the onsite evidence.

Lack of officer experience, common sense and proper site investigation has resulted in the incompetent and pointless closure of the road for the last seven months, disrupting pedestrian and vehicular passage for no good reason, and delaying retaining wall and road surface reinstatement work unnecessarily.

All guilty parties will now hide their shame and incompetence behind claims of ‘Health and Safety’ issues, when in fact there is, and was, only ever a negligible chance of further risk events that could have in any case been well managed in a straightforward fashion. Even the very best TV comedy script writers could not have dreamt up such a pathetic scenario as this event has turned out to be.

As a very long time suffering resident, who has so far – over the past five years of constant inconvenience and expense – made no complaint, I am unable to adequately express my utter exasperation and contempt for the treatment that I and all Belgrave Road residents have experienced.

For what will undoubtedly be justified by all the authorities concerned as a “considered and cautious approach” to the matter, please read “rampant risk, liability and blame aversion and general incompetence”.

Roy Rigby, Ventnor