The drilling of boreholes, which will enable a more detailed analysis of the situation at Leeson Road and ultimately decide its future, has still not started – and it could be another 2 months before work gets underway. In May, it was said that a decision on whether to re-open Leeson Road between Shanklin and Ventnor would be made ‘by September’, but in the latest update from the Isle of Wight Council it is said that the decision will now be taken ‘in the Autumn’. It has been confirmed that specialist monitoring equipment, which is to be situated 85m below the surface in a borehole, is still not in place. Work to drill these holes is now expected to start in August – some 8 months after a major landslide hit the area and forced the closure of the arterial route in and out of Ventnor. It will take many weeks of monitoring – only once the equipment is fully functional – before the Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads can make a decision on whether to partially or fully re-open Leeson Road. The road will then only re-open once an early warning system is in place, which will either be flashing lights or a level-crossing style barrier. The local authority has given no promises on timescales, using language such as ‘possibly’. 
A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council has said:
“We fully understand the problems being faced by the Ventnor community as a result of recent events and we have been working hard with numerous agencies and partners to find resolutions to what are difficult and highly technical issues. “Our intention remains to re-open all these important routes as soon as we are confident it is safe to do so and I am glad to say that while there is still work to be done and issues to be overcome, we are making steady progress. “The progress made this week by Southern Water at Newport Road is the most immediate bit of good news but we are also moving forward on the other more complex issues at Leeson Road and Gills Cliff Road also. “This work will continue and I can assure residents that we are all pulling together with the common aim of improving access in the town as soon as it is possible”.
Why does everything take so long on this island?
Saving up for the ferry fares to bring the equipment from north island!
People don’t like to hear the truth, but I will tell if for the people to hear.
Majority of the Islanders who are born and bred on the island are not
the brightest bunch, they need brains from the mainland to do the
jobs they are unable to do.
Majority of Islanders are good at drinking, smoking, vaping, having tattoos
breeding like flies with any Tom, Dick or Harry.
I have never seen a place with so many unmarried mums pushing
Prams along the street.
That’s the truth, people know it,but don’t like to admit to the truth.
Not sure how any of that is relivent….But cool.
I’m sorry, you might see lots of mums with buggies but you can’t possibly know they’re unmarried. Unless you stop them and ask? Which would make you weird.
After that statement he/she made makes he/ she weird
If they were not receiving benefits and being housed f.o.c
would they be having the sprogs in the first place?!
Oh, I think so. Most couples like to start a family, once they’re financially secure.
And this is IWC staff !. This council has to be the slowest in Country to do anything, 8mths so far and no further movement!. Yes it will eventually go but could be this week or ten year’s.
Council are not interested in residents etc of Ventnor,still no Gillscliff open. Under cliff could reopen with temporary road over summer, it’s not moved in 10yrs. Last week Ventnor completely cut off for couple of hours after Whitwell road closed . Vote carefully this week and ensure this current shambles of councillors is out. Dump Island Roads and start fresh,so far with stupid LED lamps and flat road surfaces causing endless flooding and increased accidents – where has our road network improved?
Hate to burst your bubble but the councillors are not up for re election this week
You are wrong there, it moved this winter.
There is a general election this week, which has nothing to do with the local council.
We need a Council Leader with brains.
we are not voting for local councillors on Thursday
Sorry what is wrong with unmarried mothers.
We are not in the 1960’s. The majority of young couples now do not get married and why should they.
It should be called B’stard Isle.
Because the island is a low pay area , soon as a woman has a kid here they are BETTER off than working gain a higher place on the points system to gain a house. So the ‘father’ IF known, isn’t declared, the ‘muver’ and the clone lives for free, has all day to laze on the beach, spend the tax credits in nail bars, or pubs, slobs around on a phone to other ‘muvers’ whilst the state via workers fund them all.
The father if still around lives there but undeclared so she gets more as a ‘single parent’ the kid if drugged conception gets more if ‘odd’ as many are now, and the cycle is repeated as the brood reach puberty for the next generation to fund, taking more green fields, and expecting ever more to be given to the useless trash.
In other words these Bums should be sent to Rwanda and
the migrants who are willing to actually work can replace them in
our country
Wow! You seem like a lovely, balanced, university educated person. I can tell you’re used to doing careful research before bleating out untruths like some mouth breathing day drinker.
Well done you.
Incisive, intellectually unequivocal facts about the local population are precisely what we need when discussing road and transport issues.
So true, now wait until the migrants start breeding, I’m sure they have by now. My advice get out this shithole country and leave as soon as possible
the Majority of the Council were not born here they come here for a slower life and wont do any thing fast then it has a rub-on effect on everything else
So it is unlikely to re-open this year. If we have another wet autumn and winter, the ground will probably start moving again.
Leeson road will never open again. The landslip will worsen every wet winter and most of ventnor will be gone in ten years. Sell up now!
P**s up and brewery springs to mind!
we have been working hard with numerous agencies and partners I dread to think what working slow is this Council is a joke
“Our intention remains to re-open all these important routes as soon as we are confident it is safe to do so and I am glad to say that while there is still work to be done and issues to be overcome, we are making steady progress. Haven’t seen much progress. How long does it take to maker a few boreholes and clear up a few rocks?
The Council spend thousands on floating bridge thats why can’t afford to pay for the bore holes if this was in Newport or cows it would a different matter can’t wait for the next council elections and get rid of Jordan and his cronies
Lets face it the council have no intention of opening Lesson road, it will be the same as undercliff one excuse after the other trotted out, playing for time, or waiting for another landslip. So then the council can start the whole delay tactics again until people people get use to the idea of the road been permanently shut. Take a look back at the undercliff scenario and the excuse used then.
IW Council couldn’t undo a packet of crisps
Time residents in PO38 had a significant reduction in our council tax! Back dated to December 2023.
To busy being petty minded , to worry about the people on the island …..
Only out for theirselves, beggar us poor cash cow’s!!!!!!
Our quality of life doesn’t matter, as long as they get their perks , sod the rest of us ……
Why do they not at least open it for cars on a one way system
because that would be too easy they want us to enjoy the crappy Road through wroxall and someone in ventnor has pissed them off
What a load of claptrap. I’ve never known a tiny island take so long over major descions. In Japan they constructed a metal temporary bridge in the sea so they could repair a major road .
This country can’t even fix a pothole properly. I’m disgusted by isle of wight council. They obviously don’t live on this route .
This should have been a priority. I’ll give then a major well done obviously being tops in bellends.
Just remember they spent all that money on the Esplanade and are now clapping themselves on the back for an award which has been won for the work… will be complete waste of money if Ventnor becomes a ghost town. Am curious though why the comments about sell up or why do you live there keep coming…These aren’t made about those that live in the areas that keep flooding – particularly Ryde…As mentioned before any town/village that isn’t Ryde, Cowes or Newport there is no urgency to support it. Ventnor has one of the highest council tax charges on the Island its about time this is reduced as services are not being provided to the same standard (use that term loosely as well) as other areas….