Residents and businesses in Bembridge have expressed their disgust that Island Roads is to close a main road into the village for 3 weeks across the busy Easter period. Resurfacing works mean that Kings Road – which connects Embankment Road to the High Street – will be closed from Monday 18th March until Tuesday 9th April. The 24-hour-a-day road closure means access between St Helens and Bembridge will be severed for more than 3 weeks, which includes the long Easter bank holiday weekend. In response to the news, a poster has been sellotaped to a telegraph pole on the High Street detailing the disgruntlement of locals. It reads:
“Shops, restaurants and business have gone through enough bad times since COVID. Now Island Roads wants to shut the main road through our village over the first holiday period of the year. What great planning Island Roads! “Another nail in the coffin for our local business. “Please email Island Roads to object – [email protected].”
Ruth and Mike Curtis of Captain Stan’s Bembridge Fish Store have taken to social media to echo the sentiments. They’ve said:
“This is an absolute disaster for us and the High Street. To be very honest this winter has been very difficult, 37% increase in electric, poor fishing and none stop rain. Easter is where we all clear a few bills accumulated over the winter. “Island Roads have taken upon themselves to cut off the village from the North side for the Easter holidays. “Please email Island Roads to ask them to reschedule. The road will be closed 24/7. The work has already been rescheduled for the convenience of Island Roads, they should change the plan for the convenience of those who pay their wages”.
Island Roads and its contractors will only be working on site – between Pump Lane and Church Road – on weekdays between 07:00-17:00, but the road will remain inaccessible around the clock for the duration of the works. Island Echo understands that the road may be opened for the 4-day Easter period, but this has yet to be confirmed. Island Echo has approached Island Roads for a statement 
Get in the real world we have been suffering with these problems for years
I expect the well heeled, who retire too early for their own good, then find they have no-one to order around as they once did at work, then they look for something to complain about.
Once they have verbally criticised their gardener, their cleaner, their dog walker, and bickered with their spouse, then it only leaves those manual workers, out in all the awful wet or cold weather to vent their frustrations onto.
But knowing the right people will mean that they will likely get a reprieve and the noise, disruption and frustrations will be inflicted upon other ‘plebs’ towns, and Bembridge work will be postponed until the more important people are away from months on their Summer hols floating around the Med or Caribbean .
That’s the thanks you get for appearing on the TV Show hosted by
Alan Titchmarsh
What a ridiculous time for works to be carried out.
Not only local businesses but the residents of Bembridge have had their route to the doctors surgery at St Helens cut off. Major detour which no doubt will have some sort of road works on it as well. Not sure of the rte 8 diversion for these works but will play havoc with their schedule. There must be a better less brutal way to achieve the works required. Will NHS open up Bembridge surgery on a tempt basis for these three
Island roads have a big board with all the holidays on a calender in their Daish way office, they do this deliberately.
I didn’t know Island Roads employees could read.
Do they? Do you know that? Or you just got a wooden spoon or a silver spoon if you live in Bembridge?
Yep, on the outside of their upstairs kitchen wall, theres also another one in the streetworks department.
What a very silly comment. Grow up and get a life!
You grow up and accept that there are business owners and people in government that powertrip on sadism because there’s no accountability, just like the apparent gasleak at briddlesford for the last few weeks, utter nonsense. Several months to change a traffic light? Nonsense.
Moan about the roads then moan about them doing them? It’s like people want to moan for the sake of moaning? Bembridge has like 10 shops and only 3 of them any good, I’ve been in the town and heard people saying the road is rubbish yet how the tables have turned because island roads want to do something (probably only allowed to at this time by the council). I will only except moans from people who actually go to church and celebrate Easter for the love of Jesus and not overly priced chocolate eggs and hot cross buns from M & S! People of Bembridge wake up as some of us would love our road to be done and would expect it to be do one at anytime, island roads please feel free to do my road anytime even on my birthday.
Island roads is full upstarts who haven’t got a clue what they are doing.
Island roads is full of upstarts who haven’t got a clue what they are doing.
Usual problem – zero accountability and zero oversight.
Complaining is pointless because they police themselves so have no reason at all to listen.
Surely that section of road was resurfaced a couple of years ago, am I mistaken or is the work really that sub standard
Why is everything blamed on Covid, its nearing 5 years since
What highstreet??? its a little village..