Bath Road in Ventnor could remain closed for months, if not years to come, as the Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads say the risk of a further collapse of a stone wall means the road should not be re-opened.
It was in October 2023 that the road – which runs from the Esplanade to Belgrave Road – was closed to all traffic when a garden wall gave way, resulting in debris being spewed across the carriageway.
Earlier this week, fed up locals took matters into their own hands by clearing vegetation and debris from the carriageway overlooking the Esplanade, as previously reported by Island Echo.
A legal battle over who is responsible for the wall and therefore the clear up operation and repair is ongoing. The Isle of Wight Council previously served notice to the landowner to enforce the repair works, but faced an appeal. The matter is still working its way through the court process with no hearing date yet set.
Common sense says that if the debris is cleared from the road, it should be re-opened, but the local authority says there are concerns about a further collapse.
In a joint statement, the Council and the PFI contractor has said:
“Our view is that even if debris was cleared away, there remains a risk of a further collapse and until that risk is removed, the road should not be re-opened to the general public.”
Addressing concerns that the wall could collapse again, Karl Hunter – one of the residents who began clearing Bath Roa this week – has said:
“If the wall collapses again, then close the road again. However, nothing has moved here for 18 months and I suspect we could at least enjoy use of the road until the end of the summer. However, hopefully the wall will be repaired by then”.
With no real progress in enforcing a repair through the courts, there seems to be no end in sight to the situation – so the road seems likely to be closed for the foreseeable future.
It’s a shame, Ventnor is a lovely place, but
soon it will be difficult to get to Ventnor the way
roads are collapsing.
So sad.
Even the three little piggies weren’t daft enough to build their houses on crumbling cliffs….