A lack of consultation and pre-warning for a set of road closures near Wootton Bridge has left residents ‘chasing different companies for answers’, an Isle of Wight councillor has said.
Councillor Sarah Redrup, the Liberal Democrat representative for Wootton Bridge, pointed to ‘widespread confusion’ among locals over the bank holiday weekend, with closure signage on Lushington Hill ‘changed overnight without explanation’ last week.
There are closures expected on Lushington Hill, Briddlesford Road, Alverstone Road, Brocks Copse Road and Combley Road next month.
Alverstone Road and Brock Copse Road are scheduled to be closed at some point between 2nd June and 13th June for crack sealing. The closures are required to allow Island Roads to reconstruct the footway and/or carriageway along with any related drainage and preparation works.
Lushington Hill will be closed between 5th June and 6th June to enable Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) repairs.
Briddlesford Road is to be closed between today and 16th June, as enforced by Southern Gas Network (SGN). The closure is for engineers to replace gas pipes.
‘Routine maintenance works’ by Island Roads will mean Combley Road is shut between 4th – 6th June. The 5 closures follow 2 months of work on the nearby Park Road which was extended by an extra 2 weeks.
Park Road did not initially open as planned on Saturday, causing further traffic disruption. After an outcry from residents and Councillor Redrup, it opened late on Sunday morning.
She told the press:
“Unfortunately, the situation has been disappointing. Residents and businesses should be part of the conversation when this sort of work is planned, and at the very least, they deserve clear, timely information.
“Over the bank holiday weekend, there was widespread confusion, especially when signage was changed overnight without explanation.
“With multiple contractors involved, people were left chasing different companies for answers. That’s simply not acceptable.”
Councillor Redrup added that ‘transparency and proactive communication’ should be ‘non-negotiable’.
Every where you go on the island at present there are
roadworks every where, and the whole of the island
seems to be, being held up by scaffolding.
1st class buffoonery from island roads today, as per. Closing Long Lane today, the diversion road for Briddlesford Road. And they’re allowing the closure of Lushington, another diversion route. No consideration for people with appointments, ferries to catch, emergency services, and worst of all people trying to get to the crematorium.
I thought the Highways dept were meant to
schedule roadworks so there is not so much
disruption, obviously they couldn’t organise a
piss up in a brewery, it’s an island speciality
thesedays.
No ones knows what they are doing!!
Island Roads must be the most inconsiderate bunch of dummies going, obviously they’ve never heard of traffic lights so traffic can still keep using the roads and why is Bridlington road closed again SGN was supposed to of finished that road ages ago, absolutely pathetic, useless council and bloody totally useless road company.
From what I have seen, Island Roads operatives
spend all day sitting in their vehicles eating.
Would never happen if they were being paid
with private sector money!
That’s the problem when public sector money
I.e tax payers money is being pissed up the wall
on these useless good for nothing ********
Hopefully Sarah didn’t support Phil Jordan in the last leadership vote, because he is responsible for making Island Roads serve our best interests…. IR are out of control under his leadership