The landfall at the rear of a private property on Zig Zag Road in Ventnor, that resulted in police closing the road to traffic on Friday night (23rd Feb), first took place last month, the property’s owners say.
Isle of Wight council reported on Friday night that another landslip had occurred in Ventnor, however, according to the homeowner, comprehensive surveys have been conducted and engineering designs for repair are already in progress. They are just waiting for the land to dry out.
IWC: There is no impact on the road
This morning, an Isle of Wight council spokesperson said,
“Following an initial council visit at the site at 8am this morning (Saturday, 24th February), there appears to have been a small landfall at the rear of a private property.
“Currently, there is no impact on the road, which will remain closed pending further review by Island Roads.
“During the site visit, we engaged with residents to provide updates. Additionally, we have spoken with the owners of the property affected, who emphasise that the retaining wall failure occurred in January.
“While some additional material has come down, comprehensive surveys have been conducted, and engineering designs for repair are already in progress.
“We anticipate that more mud may move today; however, it is unlikely to cause any immediate issues.
“Our council’s Building Control Team will conduct a site visit later today to further assess the area where possible.
“Due to the current low level of risk, we will closely monitor the situation, and any changes will be promptly communicated.”
Road closure confusion
The road closure has caused confusion for those not familiar with the town’s roads.
Drivers who would normally leave westbound via Lower Gills Cliff Road, are met with a road closed sign (closed due to the boulder fall on Thursday night) and then assume they can exit via Zig Zag Road.
However, with Zig Zag Road now closed to traffic, drivers have to exit the town either via Grove Road (which has a steep sharp turn at the top), via Spring Hill and up onto Mitchell Avenue, or into St Lawrence and out via the narrow shute.
