Bay area regeneration plans were presented at Shanklin Theatre on Tuesday to “around 200” residents.
Representatives from Shanklin Town Council, the Isle of Wight council and the Environment Agency informed attendees on a range of projects including Leeson Road works, the council’s Bay Plan, a project to renovate Shanklin’s clock tower, Shanklin sea defence plans and work on the town’s play areas for children.
Bonchurch landslide work
Michelle Love, service director for the Isle of Wight council, told attendees of the council’s work on Leeson Road which has included drilling boreholes at the site and measuring the ground level of soil on both the road, surrounding footways and the landslip itself.
The upper section of Leeson Road closed as a result of a catastrophic landslip on 10th December 2023.
Ms Love explained the aim of the ground investigation and borehole drilling work was to “find out” what is “going on” beneath the surface, to try to understand how much recent movement there has been in the area and to install “new monitoring equipment”.
Bay Place Plan
Laura Cansdale, regeneration programme manager for the Isle of Wight council, spelled out the council’s Bay Place Plan.
The plan was launched in January this year in partnership with the Lake, Sandown and Shanklin town and parish councils.
It aims to achieve a broad range of objectives including economic growth, infrastructure investment and improving residents’ quality of life.
Laura explained that a “key driver” of the plan was a need to demonstrate a “large population” would be positively impacted by any intervention in order to receive government regeneration funds.
Robertson: We’ll hear more about how communities can apply for funding after budget announcement
Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, commented on the presentations,
“Lots of important issues: obviously Leeson Road and how it affects Shanklin – there’s been a lot of engagement in Ventnor, of course it affects Ventnor more than anywhere – but Shanklin too.
“When it’s closed you don’t get that through flow of traffic which is bad for local business.
“Secondly the Bay Place Plan which has all sorts of different projects and opportunities involved.
“And I hope that when the chancellor has delivered her budget on 31st October we’ll hear more about how communities can apply for funding because at the moment most of the national funding pots have been put on hold – indeed Ryde Town Hall has been put on hold.
“But as soon as the budget has been delivered, hopefully we’ll discover more of how Sandown, Shanklin and Lake can apply for national pots to fund projects in the Bay Place Plan.”
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
