A hazardous cliff wall in ‘perilous condition’ could be removed brick by brick to stop it from damaging properties on Ventnor Esplanade.
The wall sits above properties on the Esplanade, behind the property Crows Nest on Hambrough Road.
However, no one knows who owns the wall — despite a public notice being published asking owners to come forward. This confusion is said to have led to the lack of maintenance and subsequent deterioration over a number of years.
A letter to the applicants from Smart Surveyors, submitted as part of the planning documentation, says greenery heavily overgrows the wall and causes severe damage to the stone but ultimately help keeps it standing.
Overall, the wall has partially fallen down already, but is in extremely poor condition and unstable, leading to the recommendation of the surveyors that it should be demolished.
The application is being submitted by Cowes-based developers Rotapoint who own Beachlands below the wall on the Esplanade, the company has permission to demolish the building and replace it with 4 town houses.
Planning agent, Phil Salmon says the wall is in a dangerous state and a stability risk to Beachlands and other properties on the Esplanade, which would be significantly reduced should it be removed.
You can view the plans, 22/01859/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 18th January.
That’s ok us tax payers will cover the bill
Why should tax papers pay. Presumably Rotapoint would have investigated the position relating to the wall before purchase at no doubt a discounted price.
It was sarcasm because that’s what’s going to end up happening we will pay for the wall to be taken down nobody has come forward to owning the wall. Just like the wall in Ryde that has been repaired tax payers paid for that
This I believe is because a non-local resident had been clearing the cliff underneath it from plant growth which was keeping it stable. This in turn has made the wall unsafe. The non-local was told countless times not to clear the plants but ignored the advice.
No-one has come forward to claim ownership. They would IF the area was large enough to build a property upon.
Yet all the council need to do is buy narrow gauge Gabion cages, then, take out a 3m section of the crumbling wall, place the first Gabion cage in it’s place and refill with the old walling material, repeat the process until the entire wall is then ensnared safely in a cage.
That way, the area still looks similar from a distance, the old origin walling is kept, lizards and wildlife can live in it, it is safe, and cost effective as there is no expense of removing the stones from the difficult site to access.
Will the council do it? Of course not as easy, cheap and will look good & help protect wildlife.
I find the wall very attractive, such character. Can’t they just fence it with strong mesh and use stainless steel cable to anchor it to the solid rock? To take it down seems sheer folly as it make the town look so quaint.
Why does everything get left until its either beyond saving, repair or costs ten times as much?
So the fire at the old arcade wasn’t a chance event then….
Looks like something the council put up…