A letter from the head of planning at Isle of Wight council, Bill Murphy, to residents affected by the landslip on Undercliff Drive, has confirmed that any solution to reopen the road between Ventnor and Niton has been discounted.
The letter sets out the three options where further costs have been requested by the Isle of Wight council executive at their meeting last week.
The three options are listed as:
Option 1 – Re-establish pedestrian access only. This would require ground anchors and safety barriers. The cost estimate for this option is £250k to £500k.
Option 4 – Establish a new access road to properties along the base of the cliff. Island Roads have developed two schemes which could deliver this solution, and as the new route would be much closer to the cliff face both include protection from falling rocks. The first scheme involves rock bolts and netting and would cost £200k – £500k, with a second scheme proposing the construction of a shelter or tunnel costing £300k – £500k.
Option 5 – Establish a temporary low cost road from the west. This short term solution involves construction of temporary road from the Niton side of the landslide and whilst it would cost less than £100k it would require further expenditure in future.
The letter goes on to explain,
“Option 1 would allow pedestrian access to be re-established between St Lawrence and Niton, while option 4 and 5 enable vehicular access to the nine properties currently landlocked.
“Any solution which re-established a vehicular route between St Lawrence and Niton has now been discounted.”
He finishes by saying,
“In addition the Executive also asked officers to investigate a longer term solution which would involve managing groundwater and that this option should also be included in the report to the September Committee. I did advise that this element of the work is not likely to be significantly advanced by the date of the September Executive.”
