Ventnor’s Gills Cliff Road looks set to remain closed for the foreseeable future as specialist work needs to be undertaken to make the area safe. It was in mid-February that a rockfall occurred near the junction with Castle Road, leading to the lower half of Gills Cliff Road being closed in both directions. Since then, work has been undertaken to clear debris from the carriageway and cut back vegetation – which has included cutting down well-rooted trees. However, rock falls are still occurring which poses a risk to public safety. Island Roads has revealed that specialist work is now required to remove any other loose materials that could fall. The work is yet to be commissioned, suggesting that it could be several weeks – if not months – before the road is safe to re-open. There is growing frustration in the town of Ventnor as several roads have been closed due to land movement in recent weeks, such as Leeson Road and Bath Road. Concerns are mounting for The Grabem at Newport Road too, as Island Roads continue to fill in the cracks that are opening up on a weekly basis. A spokesperson for Island Roads has said:
“Though we continue to undertake clearance work in Gills Cliff Road, including the removal of vegetation and large boulders, we remain concerned at the risk of further significant rockfalls.
“Further specialist work is required both to look at the further removal of unstable materials and/or to look at how any loose material can be prevented from entering the highway. This work will be commissioned as a priority. “We appreciate that this ongoing issue is causing some local inconvenience but the safety of all road users is our absolute priority”.
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Unfortunately apologies don’t get people to work …
or Hospital appointments!!!!!!
Or even to see family and friends….
Lack of staff, problems with the red jets, seriously this needs sorting…..
With the profits you make ,these problems should take priority…..
Another day another cancellation, apologies don’t solve teavel issues, do so proper maintenance and checks
Of course what they should have really said is boats are out of action due to staff not getting off there butts.
Profits for shareholders much more important than having enough staff!
The big advantage of public ownership, apart from a service responsibility, is: no shareholders to keep fat.
Don’t sorry it will be holiday season soon, all the excuses for the usual half a service during winter months will be forgotten as the tourists fill the ferries and extra sailings suddenly appear
As on the previous redjet fiasco there is a link to fill in to send to the government for a regulator to be put in place we all have to fill it in .if we want anything done about this.
stop apolgiseing its an insult ..you don’t care or mean it..its worthless.
Can the IOW council do something positive and produce an app that gives you up to date information on what is actually running,
Would be a Very small app…….
I’m guessing due to the winds and rain it’s brought alot of debris into the water ie logs, branches, fishing gear etc bound to get sucked up into jet units
An apology without compensation is worthless.
Stainless steel nets of twisted wire would hold back rocks up to a ton each. They are widely used abroad to prevent such falls from roads cut into the side of mountains. Gabion cages used at the base of lower sections to prevent slippage. All of course need to be fixed to secure ground and resin used to bond to solid rock.
Just get on and sort it, it is a disgrace we have to keep waiting for nature to do its thing. For IF we wait long enough the Sun will burn out, so just DEAL with issues as we did in the war.
The money EVERY day wasted on keeping illegals would sort ALL our issues out. SEE the problem in the UK now, for MP’s can’t dare tell you
Stainless steel net cages have been used to keep land back after stretches of the M1 were turned into a four-lane motorway. The land around the motorway has a history of collapsing; however, the improvements made in 2020 have not only addressed issues with flooding but also held the land back from movement.
It’s not rocket science.
It IS rocket science if you are Island Roads. They dine out on the power they have as it is not restricted by Councillors nor do Councillors make them “get a move on” when roads are closed. Just driving around you will see their “District Stewards” sat in their vans on their phones, having their nammet, doing as little as possible while the mugs who pay their wages are trying to find a road that is OPEN!
Good point ivy. if we don’t do something then the problem gets worse. needs the rocks to be removed if they are unstable or as you say, netted with stays fixed to firm rock, as despite what idiots think the whole of ventnor is not on the downward slide.
Go on then fix it hurry up!!!
Why does everything have to come back to “blame the OTHERS”?! You can desire environmental maintenance AND not be racist, you know. It’s not either/or.
So true. People just love the jump on the ‘blame the illegals’ bangwagon. Maybe if they actually did some research they would realize it’s not them we need to be concerned about lol.
Amazing..how do you do it ? ..you’ve managed to turn an article about landslip into a rant about boats and illegals…although..I think you forgot about the people who have lost their jobs etc..
Tory cuts, why do a good job as you describe when you can just ignore the problem and save the money.
Well be months then wont it…bit like everything on this old isle..
Move off if you don’t like it
No, years.
Wow..Good luck with that one.. I remember walking those steps many times. Whilst lovely… there’s an awful lot of rock involved.. as I say… Good luck
Absolute priority
Really? Have you bounced in the mammoth amount of potholes your not bothering to fix? This island is turning into one huge dot to dot due to your company’s lack of competence and lack of knowledge to fix much of anything.
Absolute priority indeed
Maybe you should try driving home n Hampshire or Dorset, then you’d know what a pothole is!
Why would i want to try that its bad enough here
Island Roads are still trying to work out how to repair Potholes.
Bit like the Undercliff, that never re-opened and never will.
Ventnor is doomed, building work in such locations is dwindling.
Ventnor needs a fixed link.
Let’s get a professional company over here or the Royal Engineers asap as Island Roads don’t know what they are doing!
Back in the 60s the road went at the top of Gills Cliff and the Royal Engineers were here doing work elsewhere, they offered to build a bridge across the road but the Ventnor Urban District Council turned their offer down.
Stop doing unnecessary expensive things like that stupid anti crash barrier above Botanic Gardens. Whoever crashed there before!! Save money and do things now before it gets worse and costs more. Who is in charge of these things, island Roads or the Council?? What a complete disgrace, I am embarrassed having family over. Get it done!!!!