A year ago today, on 10th December 2023, the Island witnessed one of the worst landslips in local history when a large land mass off Leeson Road in Ventnor slipped away.
It was at around 21:30 that emergency services – including Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service – were called to the scene after HM Coastguard received numerous reports from concerned residents.
The area was quickly cordoned off and Leeson Road was closed to all traffic amid fears of a real and present danger to members of the public.
The major land movement – described as horrific by those affected – saw the Smuggler’s Haven car park and toilet block destroyed and left nearby homes teetering on the edge. It’s said that the landslip was one of the biggest to be recorded in the South of England.
The following day, Island Echo was able to reveal the extent of the slip to the world, with photos and video footage featured on national news bulletins and websites.
In the following months, updates on the state of the closure and the slip were thin on the ground despite 2 well-attended residents’ meetings held in the town.
The road remained closed for some 7 months until it was re-opened, under temporary traffic lights, in July 2024 so that the South Wight town could enjoy as ‘normal’ a summer tourist season as possible.
At the end of the summer, the road was closed again – in September 2024 – to allow the drilling of 3x 85m boreholes, works which only finished a few weeks ago.
Leeson Road has now finally re-opened in both directions, much to the joy of Ventnor residents. How long it will remain open for remains to be seen…
With the recent weather conditions and a long
winter ahead, how long until the next landslip.