DECISION ON LEESON ROAD EXPECTED BY SEPTEMBER – BUT BAD NEWS FOR THE GRABEN

Leeson Road will remain closed throughout the Summer months but a decision is set to be made on its future by September, it has been revealed at a public meeting in Ventnor this evening (Tuesday). Around 200 concerned and angry Ventnor residents gathered at St Catherine’s Church to hear updates on the many ongoing issues in the town, including the closure of Leeson Road. The meeting was noticeably quieter than last time with the Isle of Wight Council limiting tickets to just 200 due to ‘fire regulations’, despite there being around 400 at the previous meeting. Empty seats were aplenty, despite an appetite from locals to attend. Although a smaller audience, the significant frustration felt by all was still evident in the room – particularly surrounding Leeson Road and The Graben. There was some relief though with confirmation that The Landslip Car park has now re-opened as the risk of ‘landslide tourists’ has reduced. Despite 2-and-a-half months passing since the last public meeting, residents were disappointed to hear that not much has changed. It was confirmed that the initial monitoring equipment at Leeson Road was installed later than anticipated and there is still more work to be done. Rob Gillespie, Chief Executive of Island Roads, explained that 70m deep boreholes still need to be drilled with specialist monitoring equipment installed. This, along with GNSS remote equipment which is due to be in place this month, will allow for an early warning system to be installed. Mr Gillespie confirmed that the road cannot re-open until the warning system is in place, which will either be flashing lights or a level-crossing style barrier. Initially, trigger points would be ‘conservative’ but would be adapted overtime. Admissions have been made that there is no long-term, permanent fix for the busy A-road. A decision on whether to open Leeson Road will be made by Autumn, but initial findings are proving positive. No reportable movements have been recorded since the first tranche of monitoring equipment was installed back in April, with around 7mm defections recorded overall. There were rounds of applause from members of the public when a question asked put Mr Gillespie in a tight spot, forcing him to state that The Graben has moved significantly more than Leeson Road, but remains open. On the subject to The Graben, residents were informed that it looks likely that the road will be closed in its entirety for a 2-week period in June to allow Southern Water to undertake drainage works. This means that all traffic in and out of Ventnor will need to divert via Whitwell. More details can be found here. Those present at the public meeting also heard details about the reopening of Eastern Esplanade next week following a major scheme to stablised a collapse section of the sea wall. But this is far from the biggest concern for those living and working in Ventnor, with the closure of Bath Road and Gills Cliff Road seemingly more pressing for locals. Gills Cliff Road is also set to remain closed due to concerned over cracks and fissures in the cliff face. Island Roads has confirmed that the plan is to manage the immediate risk through anchored netting, similar to that Belgrave Road. But this won’t be an immediate fix with the road set to remain closed for the time being. A legal battle with the landowner at Bath Road is delaying matters, with the repair scheme expected to take between 3-4 months once access has been secured – with no time frame given. It looks likely that Bath Road will remain closed for the remainder of 2024 and potentially into 2025. This evening’s 90-minute meeting was cemented by a reassurance from Island Roads and the Isle of Wight Council that they intend to re-open Leeson Road and that the frustration and concern felt by everyone is genuinely understood.