A slippery section of the revetment between Sandown and Shanklin is to be cleaned more regularly after concerns were raised that newly installed safety railings would not be enough to tackle the problem.
The Isle of Wight Council has confirmed that the section of promenade near The Salix Cafe will be added to its slipway cleaning programme following reports of several people falling.
As previously reported by Island Echo, slippery ‘slime’ covering the pathway reportedly caused at least 5 people to fall, with injuries said to have included a broken collarbone and head injuries.
One man also injured his arm after slipping at the location.
Recent heavy rainfall was thought to have contributed to the conditions, with water running across the pathway.
The Isle of Wight Council previously confirmed that approximately 15 metres of safety railing had been installed adjacent to the slipway following concerns about groundwater crossing the promenade.
However, concerns were subsequently raised that the railings alone would not resolve the slippery conditions and that the issue required further investigation.
The Council has now confirmed that water will continue to cross the pathway due to the drainage system in place, but says more regular cleaning will be carried out.
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson has said:
“Water will continue to come across the path from weep holes in the wall; that are designed to assist with drainage.
“We will add this section of the promenade to the slipway cleaning programme, so that it gets more regularly washed. It will continue to be monitored by our coastal inspectors and public realm officers so that we can identify if there are any future issues.
“Care should always be taken around our coastline as it is a dynamic, outside environment that is not only subject to weather but also marine and cliff processes.”
The Council says the area will continue to be monitored by its coastal inspectors and public realm officers.
