Angry residents in St Lawrence have written to Environment and Neighbourhoods Director, Stuart Love.
The letter is in response to news that a delegated decision is due to be made next week by Cabinet Member, Cllr Edward Giles, that will affect the future of Undercliff Drive.
Following previous landslides and ongoing slippage, three options to deal with the problem have been put forward. However, Cllr Giles is being recommended by officers to go for the one that will cost the council the least, that is, to maintain the existing maintenance regime and divert traffic inland if the road fails.
It’s effectively like putting a sticky plaster on an infected leg wound and amputating the leg once the plaster stops sticking.
Should not be a delegated decision
Residents are angry that they’re not being given enough time to challenge the decision and believe that it should be made by the full council, not one person alone.
In their letter (see below), they go on to make some strong arguments about how the decision will affect their future on Undercliff Drive. Suggesting house prices would be wiped out, massive increases in insurance premiums and a lack of access to properties by essential services.
Ann Thwaites, on behalf of the St Lawrence Homeowners Group, sent VentnorBlog a copy of the letter this afternoon to share with our readers.
Dear Mr Love
Ref: Delegated Decision Report – Ventnor to Niton Traffic Route
I write in response to the above report on behalf of St Lawrence Homeowners Group.
We consider that there is insufficient time allocated for us to respond effectively to this report and demand that an extension be granted till January 2011, in order for our group to fully consider the implications of the recommendation to adopt Option C.
We also consider that it is undemocratic for a single officer of the council to make a decision on this proposal, without taking it back to the full committee. The original decision to consider the development of Options was made at the full cabinet meeting in December 2007.
The homeowners group consider that Option B should be adopted.
The cost of Option B could be covered by the sale of the Woodington property, which is owned by the council and currently houses Housing Association tenants.
Our initial thoughts on the recommendation of Option C are namely that:-
- The value of properties will be wiped out
- Properties will not be able to be sold – this has already happened, as no sales have been completed during the last 5 years.
- Properties will not be able to secure a mortgage
- Properties will not be able to be insured
- Existing insurance premiums will rocket
- No essential services will be able to access the properties affected
The houses affected total in the region of 3 million pounds at current market value, will the council purchase these at market value should the road fail?
We await your early reply to this letter.
Yours Faithfully
Ann Thwaites (On behalf of St Lawrence Homeowners Group)
We’ll let you know once we hear whether the group receive a response from Mr Love.
