A councillor has asked the Isle of Wight council why no “substantial safety work” has been undertaken in response to a “huge accident” at Vittlefields Cross.
At Wednesday’s Full Council meeting in Newport, Councillor Matthew Price told council leader Phil Jordan “five and a half years” have passed since the “devastating” fatal road traffic incident took place at the junction on Forest Road.
Councillor Price added,
“More than five years after assurances were given to signatories of a 7,000 name petition calling for action and three and a half years since the Isle of Wight coroner asked the Isle of Wight council to take measures to prevent further loss of life at Vittlefields Cross.”
The representative for Fairlee and Whippingham said the issue had “directly” had an effect on a resident in his ward.
He asked,
“Why after all this time has substantial safety work not been undertaken at Vittlefields?
“Does the council plan to undertake any substantial safety work at this junction and if so, what works and when?
“And does the council consider it has complied with the wishes of HM Coroner?”
Price: Coroner’s report “hard to read”
Councillor Price said he had read “the whole” coroner’s report, some of which is “quite hard” to read.
He added the coroner had claimed that measures taken by the council in response to the road traffic incident “do not” go “far enough” to make the junction “significantly safer”.
Jordan: I will get you a written reply addressing all of those questions ASAP
Councillor Jordan responded,
“I think this is such a serious set of circumstances that I will get you a written reply, Matt.
“That’s not to avoid this question – I just think it’s serious enough for me to make sure that I give you and this chamber the exact, correct information.
“As you refer to, there have been some approaches there and there are some issues to be resolved with landownership.
“But I will get you a written reply addressing all of those questions ASAP, probably within seven days.”
Recent incident
There was another road traffic incident at the junction, as recently as April, when one person was injured.
And it was reported in October 2023 that the council was looking to buy land at the junction so it can change the position of a hedge to improve visibility.
An Island Roads report previously said a roundabout would be the best option, bringing what it said would be a 50 per cent drop in accidents at Vittlefields and ‘significantly’ less chance of fatal or serious injury accidents.
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
