Undercliff Drive will not be repaired anytime in the foreseeable future after the Isle of Wight Council failed in its bid to receive funding for the major reconstruction project.
Reporting back to Niton and Whitwell Parish Council, Councillor Claire Critchison said she had been advised in a briefing by the Isle of Wight Council’s strategic manager for highways, Jayne Dando, there was ‘no option for the council to re-open the road’.
Clarification from the Isle of Wight Council has confirmed without external funding there are no plans to undertake such a major highways infrastructure project.
The road has been closed for 7 years after suffering significant landslips in February 2014 which saw the road become unstable and 9 houses landlocked. Residents were evacuated by the Army as the situation deteriorated.
The council applied for money under the government’s local highways maintenance challenge fund but it was made clear by officers that the £2.1 million awarded would be insufficient to reinstate the road. A council spokesperson has said it was also questioned whether such investment for a new route would be value for money in the long term, given the underlying geology and hydrology of the area and history of significant landslips.
The once-vital route between St Lawrence and Niton now has traffic issues, the parish council says, with single track roads, in places, now serving as the main highway routes into the area, which can be easily blocked.
It was a promise of former Isle of Wight Council leader, Dave Stewart, to reopen the road and a consultation during his term in office found 58% of respondents were in favour of reinstating the road to vehicle traffic — although 40% were against the proposal and the remaining few were neutral.
Trying to find answers for her constituents since stepping into the position, Cllr Critchison said the future of the road was a main concern, but was told the bid put in to central government for funding was not accepted so there were no plans to reinstate the road.
She said:
“We still need to look at it a bit further and check all avenues have been looked at. If we cannot open it, perhaps we look at other uses — what that may be, I don’t know. Even if that is improving what is already there, making it more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, but it is just knowing where we are, going forward.”
The Isle of Wight Council has said it will be looking closely at the position ‘taking into account the divided local opinions’ and has said the option is ‘always open’ should it wish to pursue future bids to reconstruct the road.
While the funding was not used for Undercliff Drive, the Department for Transport gave permission for the council to use the £2.1 million to address other priority highway safety schemes, including future work at the Smallbrook roundabout, Forest Road/Whitehouse Road junction, the ongoing Island speed review and improvements to the bus infrastructure.
PHOTO GALLERY – Here is what Undercliff Drive looked like in February 2020…
Talking of Dave Stewart and speed, I really hope they scrap his plans for speed cameras on Military Road, and spend it to deter speeding in towns in the evening.
Maybe if the council had not wasted 7 million on the floating bridge these people could get their lives back on track.
says alot for island roads they were working on it when it went
How absolutely disgusting! I seem to remember reading some time ago that this sorry state of affairs was brought about by so called “experts” ignoring various reports concerning the state of the ground at the time of works being carried out. – anyone else remember this?
An ‘Ex’ is a ‘has been’ and a ‘spurt’ is a ‘drip under pressure.’ This is a serious point, don’t be overawed by people’s job titles.
The council has been told this by locals for over 50 years and they just ignore it.
The wildlife are celebrating tonight
What hope as the two roads in Ventnor got…..
None at all…. Just leave them and let them fall away. That’s Island Roads attitude.
This road could easily have been repaired if the council had used the money they have wasted on all those traffic lights at St Mary’s had been used to reopen this road