The proposed design for replacement railings on Rene Howe Walk — the pedestrian footway on Ventnor Cascade — will go ahead as planned it was announced at a public meeting held in Ventnor on Tuesday night.
At the start of September, Rene Howe Walk will be closed for 27 weeks in order for 140m of railings can be replaced and the walkway resurfaced.
Inspections last year determined the current railings on the Rene Howe Walk are not fit for purpose, and Island Roads say it is now becoming untenable to fix small sections of it. If left, they said it risked a longer, emergency closure if something were to happen.
Vertical versus horizontal railings
Residents attending the meeting expressed their distaste for the design of the proposed vertical railings. Island Roads’ project manager said they needed to complete the work to modern safety standards (ref BS 7818), which meant vertical railings were required, as opposed to horizontal railings that have been in place since the Victorian era.
One member of the public asked how horizontal railings could have been used in a recent renewal of railings in St Lawrence, but not here. The Project Manager explained there are different rules for different situations and the drop at St Lawrence is far less than the one on the Cascade.
After the meeting News OnTheWight asked the Project Manager how the situation compared to the railings on Ryde Pier, which has cars driving along it and a potential sheer drop into the sea. He said this was private land and not subject to the same rules as a public highway.
Designs signed off
News OnTheWight also shared the view of some readers that the proposed white railings should be painted black.
However, the Project Manager explained the designs had been signed off by the Isle of Wight council and Ventnor Town Council and would go ahead as planned.
No diversion signs
Although it was stated in Island Roads’ press release earlier this month that “There will be signed diversionary routes that pedestrians will be able to use”, at last night’s meeting they announced that, in fact, no alternative pedestrian route would be signposted to direct pedestrians down to Ventnor Esplanade.
Island Roads said this is because there are no fully-accessible routes to the seafront, as all other ways down have steps, and Shore Hill, the road that runs through the Cascade, has no dedicated footpath.
Accessible diversion
However, this is not strictly true as those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or pushchairs can use Belgrave Road and Esplanade Road to access the seafront.
If mobility is not an issue, there is a footpath east of the Cascade that people can use from Dudley Road mini car park. This brings you out just past the Cheetah Marine building.
Fears about people walking in the road
Fears were raised at the meeting that pedestrians would just walk down Shore Hill, mixing with the vehicle traffic, causing ‘chaos’ and accidents would happen.
Island Roads said it would not be able to put temporary barriers on Shore Hill as it would stop vehicular access and if it were to close the road to make it a pedestrian walkway, the sea wall restoration work around Eastern Cliff Esplanade would not be able to continue.
Shuttle service?
A suggestion was made, which Island Roads said it would speak to the Isle of Wight Council about, to have a shuttle service taking pedestrians up and down the Cascades.
Others were concerned the lack of signposting would impact businesses and the end of the tourist season would be disrupted by the work.
IR: Doing the work now was the lesser of two evils
Island Roads said there was no easy way to deliver the project and doing the work now was the lesser of two evils.
If the work goes as planned, the walkway should be open before Easter 2024.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
