‘Massive disruption’ to the Isle of Wight’s road network in recent months has raised questions at County Hall.
Councillors Julie Jones-Evans (independent), Sarah Redrup (Liberal Democrat) and Andrew Garratt (Liberal Democrat) sought answers over recent road closures at last Thursday’s economy, regeneration, transport and infrastructure committee (ERTIC).
In response, the Council put forward a joint presentation with Island Roads on roadworks management for a date in August.
Cllr Jones-Evans said:
“There has been major disruption over the past two months in particular for the Island’s road network, causing significant negative impacts on local businesses, services and residents.
“Some of the roadworks were planned and some were emergency works.
“What lessons have been learnt from this by the Isle of Wight Council and other agencies involved and how will this learning be implemented for future, planned highways works to mitigate the impact on our Island community?”
Cllr Redrup cited several complaints from Wootton Bridge residents and businesses about poor communication around roadworks, traffic management systems and road closures.
She asked:
“What steps will the committee take to bring together the highways department, Island Roads and utility third party companies to review these concerns, identify lessons learned and ensure better co-ordination and communication with residents, businesses and the wider community in the future?”
Cllr Garratt said the one-way closure, diversion and one weekend full closure of Horsebridge Hill brought massive disruption.
He urged a full, transparent and candid review, adding this was particularly important given the work anticipated by Southern Water in the coming months on Horsebridge Hill, Forest Road and other areas on the Island.
Cllr Jones-Evans, who chairs ERTIC, read out the council’s response. It said:
“We can arrange for a joint presentation from the Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads at the ERTIC on Thursday, August 21.
“The presentation will focus on how roadworks are managed, responsibilities of the various parties, including what role the Isle of Wight Council and Island Roads carried out in the management of the roadworks and what the responsibilities of utility companies, third parties, are.
“Using Horsebridge Hill as an example, the presentation will set out the amount, cost and type of additional resources that will achieve the level of engagement with their residents that councillors have requested.
“This will provide the committee with the opportunity to assess whether they wish to ask the policy, finance and resources committee to consider specific budgetary implications.”
How long before a congestion charge / Ulez charge
is introduced on the island.
shut up
With labour in charge….not long
They are working to a housing target, only natural that it will get worse.
stop building.
How very true Edgar. The infrastructure is not present on the Isle of Wight to take these new houses. It gets harder by the day to distinguish were Newport ends and Northwood / Cowes begins, the same leaving Newport headed for Ryde with Fairlee Road getting infilled day by day. All of these new houses need to use the roads, the hospitals / GPs / Dentists, employment, and the rest. This isn’t a case of ‘Not in my back yard’, it is basic logistical management. Once again, the Horsebridge Hill debacle, with the outlandish diversions to avoid a 200metre section of highway work, causing Cowes, Newport, Wootton and East Cowes to become overloaded, proves the need for a much more considered approach from those in positions of power – positions we consistently put them in with the blind hope they will do better this time! Blanket policies cause blanket harm with the only true beneficiaries being those corrupt enough to position themselves as such.
So very true.
Excellent points by RIB and Edgar. If you think about it, what’s happening on the Island is a microcosm of what’s happening across the Solent. Overbuilding and encouraging an influx of people which will not be matched by upgrading services and infrastructures. It’s really simple, but those who rule us either don’t get it or don’t care. They won’t care because the inevitable outcome won’t hurt them.
The council and Island Roads – to me, to you, to me, to you…..
Or basically the same group but one having more powerthe unelected one!!and HQ in France they could not give Jack s..t about how congested the roads in prime tourist season
Island Roads are Beyond a Joke and we Should Get 20% Discount, Off of Road Tax and Free Parking… We’re Being Conned!!
Past few months. Ever since I been coming to isle over 14 years the road construction has gotten slowly worse. The latest fiasco with cowes was crazy. Road construction. Is never great and has to be done fair enough but seems mainland people can sort it without closing roads completely for days.
It seems not many people have noticed they’ve put another traffic light junction outside of the horsebridge hill estate, so now when we travel from Cowes to Newport, a road just under 3 miles, we will have deal with 6 traffic lights junctions/crossings on what used to be a 7 minute journey. Stag lane junction can already cause huge tailbacks as it always favours the cars coming out of Stag lane, can’t wait to see how awful it’s going to be once all this is up and running
THE BIGGEST DISRUPTION IS LETTING
Vehicles park on Double Yellow Lines and Pavements
No one does “fcuk” all about it!, slap parking tickets on
the motors F.F.S
Every village has got one, hardly the “biggest disruption” is it. Enough is enough of your wittering rhetoric.
“Using Horsebridge Hill as an example, the presentation will set out the amount, cost and type of additional resources that will achieve the level of engagement with their residents that councillors have requested.”
Why TF should we, the residents and Tax Payers (those of us the actually do pay tax), have to pay more for IR to actually do what they should already be doing,.. & putting US (the residents, and ultimately their pay-masters),First !!!
Every thing they do should be for the benefit of local residents,.. not the other way round…
IR is just another Private Company, (just like the ferries & water companies) doing public services & milking the public for every penny they can,to line their fat-cat owners / shareholders pockets…
Everyone moans about them,.. but when are people actually going to wake up, and realise that if you vote for the likes of the CONservatives, or Deform, this is exactly what you get.. Very Expensive, Very Poor service, with all the money going into share-holders pockets….
Just employ someone with some common sense
It’s about time they looked at the bigger picture. Horsebridge hill has only highlighted the problem imo. Since this bogus company island roads took over there has been nothing but disruption. The same roads closed time and time again, roads closed for days with nothing actually being done and absolutely no improvement to our roads in general. It’s pathetic and about time someone was held to account.