“I feel there is a serious risk to life” – these are the stark words of Freshwater South’s new councillor, who issued a warning at a public meeting about the iconic Military Road this week.
Addressing attendees at Freshwater’s West Wight Sports and Community Centre on Monday evening, the Empowering Islanders group’s Councillor Becca Cameron expressed alarm over how close the panoramic highway is to the cliff edge near Afton Down.
Military Road is affected by coastal and landward erosion, with its lifespan uncertain and dependent upon a number of geological and geotechnical factors, according to a recent council briefing.
In February last year, County Hall’s director of community services, Colin Rowland, said the thoroughfare could be washed away by the sea in between 2 and 10 years’ time.
At Monday’s meeting, Cllr Cameron said:
“I called this meeting because I feel there is a serious risk to life – the drone footage shows how serious the risk is and how close the cliff is to the road.
“The fissure photo shows what’s under the road – when a bus passes over the cliff you can feel the vibrations underneath.
“We have no warning system if the road collapses. While I was volunteering with the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat there was a critical incident practice where a school bus went over the cliff at Afton Down – I know it was years ago, but I’ve never forgotten it.”
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She pointed to reported recommendations from Island Roads for additional monitoring equipment. Additionally, a vehicle restraint system (VRS) has been recommended at the site, such as crash barriers.
Cllr Cameron continued:
“Why have none of these safety measures been put in place? Would the VRS be strong enough to stop a school bus or aggregate lorry from going over the cliff? When did Island Roads submit these recommendations and to whom? Why has the council not implemented these recommendations?”
In a briefing issued last month, County Hall said:
“Dialogue has taken place with the Department for Transport (DfT) over the feasibility of funding works to maintain the Military Road, including the possibility of a rerouting of the road, at an estimated cost of £20 million to £25 million.
“DfT have advised the council, however, that although the value of the route to local communities and the tourism value is recognised, the economic case for these works would not meet the current criteria for national highways capital funding and the scheme would need to compete with other schemes on a national level.”
In respect of Island Roads’ recommendations, the council said:
“The council is in the process of instructing Island Roads in respect of this (monitoring equipment) installation and ensuring the relevant requirements are met.
“A review will be carried out by the council on emergency management arrangements.”
The meeting also heard how the landslip area close to Brook Beach car park, which previously failed to get planning permission, is now subject to further review between Island Roads and the Isle of Wight Council.
It has also been confirmed that there is no local authority strategic plan in place, a requirement which was established by a planning approval condition for the 2003 piling stabilisation scheme.
This article fails to mention that a representative of Island Roads was present at the meeting, and put forward a helpful and informative presentation on the state of the road and IR’s current work to monitor the situation. The outcome of the meeting seemed to go towards the fact that the council have remained silent on the issue and that IR are ready to implement their decisions – IR cannot do the work without the say so of the council (who failed to attend the meeting) or funding.
‘Crash barriers’ could well weaken the ground and speed up the erosion.
If buses are known to cause vibration which is registering through the road surface and time is of the essence, perhaps an interim step to buy some time would be to limit the weight of vehicles using the road? Buses and HGVs could be routed away from the most vulnerable stretch.
The only risk to life along the Military Road
is the Numpty’s who speed along the lawless road
putting peoples lives in danger.
Install decent speed Camera’s and install road
humps at various sections to STOP motorists speeding.
Yet more over reaction to panic members of the publc