Undercliff Drive - Volunteer road rebuild - wide shot - 23 Oct 14

Amazingly, big guns from the council heading to Undercliff Drive on Sunday

We’ve just heard from Cllr Phil Jordan, who has only been in the role as Executive member responsible for the highways PFI for around two weeks, following Cllr Jon Gilbey resigning from the post.

Along with Cllr Phil Jordan, Ian Stephens, the leader of the council; local ward councillor, Cllr Steve Stubbings: and the MD of Isle of Wight Council, Dave Burbage will be meeting with some residents down at Undercliff Drive tomorrow (Sunday).

Cllr Jordan told OnTheWight,

“We want to make this good for the residents of that area. We want to try and put this right for them.”

We understand that two possible options are on the table:

  1. Seriously examining if, by signing a disclaimer, the residents will be able to use the section of road re-built by Island volunteers at their own risk. (The representative of Island Roads, Kieron Blamey told residents on Friday this wasn’t possible)
  2. Examining if the road could be unadopted, giving the residents the possibility of taking responsibility of it

Gary Smedmore, who owns one of the landlocked properties, told OnTheWight,

“I’m shell-shocked that the councillors are coming over on a Sunday. It’s totally out of the blue.”

Both of these ideas have been suggested by commenters here through OnTheWight.