Could there finally be hope for the reopening of Bath Road in Ventnor, which has remained closed since October 2023 following the collapse of a garden wall onto the carriageway?
The road, which provides a vital link between the western esplanade and Belgrave Road, became inaccessible to traffic after the incident. Since then, progress has stalled due to legal disputes, as one of the landowners contested an enforcement notice issued by the Isle of Wight council.
Community group takes initiative
OnTheWight spoke with David Groocock from the Keep Ventnor Moving (KVM) group. His group has been working persistently behind the scenes to find a resolution to the situation, which they say has caused disruption for local residents and had an adverse impact on nearby businesses.
David explained that KVM arranged for a structural engineer—someone who also works with Island Roads—to assess the wall. The engineer developed a plan to stabilise the structure by installing a brace, extending from the road to the wall, to secure it in place.
Costed plan ready to go
According to David, the proposed works would take around two days to complete and cost £9,500 plus VAT.
Jordan: We couldn’t prevent the wall being secured/repaired
OnTheWight spoke to Phil Jordan, leader of Isle of Wight council, who explained the council are still in the same position over legals as before and are, “at odds with Island Roads over contractual matters on road closures”.
He was aware of the quote to repair the wall, but confirmed the council were “not part of that approach”.
The council leader added that,
“We couldn’t prevent the wall being secured/repaired of course.”
We’ll update you when we hear more.
