OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Nick Binfield, Brading. Ed
Yesterday (Monday) in Brading was truly the “perfect storm.” New Road will be closed for the best part of a month, yet no proper mitigation has been put in place to support residents’ access to employment, education, or medical services.
New Road has been in a shocking state for years. Remedial work has been on the agenda for a significant period; indeed, it has been postponed at least once. Given the long lead-in time for this project and the well-known, fragile nature of transport links into and out of Brading, why wasn’t a shuttle bus provided? A service to Sandown from the southern end of town and to Tesco from the northern end would be logical. After all, Wroxall has a shuttle in place while major works occur there. What is the difference?
Many people in Brading are utterly dependent on the bus to access vital services and leisure opportunities. However, many now face a daily struggle to get to and from work. While some may point out that Brading has a train station—and reliability has certainly improved thanks to the massive investment secured by our former MP, Bob Seely—the rail connection remains fragile.
This morning, during key commuter times, both the train and the bus in Brading were out of action. This made it impossible for those who do not drive to reach the Bay Medical Centre, The Bay CE School, or the equivalent in Ryde. This is massively inconvenient and potentially damaging to the community.
Common sense must prevail. While the need for these works is acknowledged, Southern Vectis and Island Roads should work together to mitigate these impacts immediately. At least Brading still has a primary school; without it, even more families and children would have had their lives disrupted. When the inevitable closures come
