It was proposed, seconded and agreed on Monday night by the Ventnor Town Council to make a formal complaint about the Isle of Wight Council to the Local Government Ombudsman.
The complaint relates to a lack of consultation with the VTC regarding the construction of the wall next to the famous Isle of Wight paddling pool on the Eastern Esplanade.
Background
Since it went up, there have been some pretty fiery exchanges regarding the construction of the wall (which has been referred to as ‘The Berlin Wall’ on many occasions by town councillors), as it never approved by the VTC.
The plans that the VTC approved for the public realm area around the paddling pool showed a set of railings between the paddling pool and the realigned road.
In addition, as those who have followed this dispute will be aware, on the approved plans, there was significantly more space between the paddling pool and the road than is now seen (this issue has also been subject to a petition organised by Evelyn Knowles and signed by 100s of people asking for the paddling pool to be moved).
The VTC have been extremely vocal with the IWC regarding their objections to the construction of the wall which has been met with seemingly deaf ears.
Cllr Rob Mew said in the meeting that believes the highways department didn’t carry out the a proper survey of the area, which is why the road is now closer to the paddling pool than on the original plans.
Wriggling out of it?
It’s being claimed by the Local Planning Authority (LPA) that the change from railings to a wall was agreed as part of ‘condition 15’ of the road realignment project rather than as part of public realm area around the paddling pool and loos, therefore not requiring consultation with the VTC.
Health and safety or lack of survey?
They say that a reinforced wall (rather than railings) was necessary under health and safety grounds as the road is so close to the paddling pool, but many people are asking whether a risk assessment was ever carried out for the wall.
We’ve had several readers us ask whether the IWC even considered the risk of kids climbing on the wall and falling into the paddling pool. Their view is that the wall is a neck or head injury waiting to happen.
Formal complaints
It appears that the VTC have finally had enough of the rebuttals they’ve received over the months from the IWC.
The decision to make a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman follows the VTCs formal complaint through the Isle of Wight Council complaints procedure.
Upon hearing the response to their complaint from Deputy Head of Planning Services, Phil Salmon which was read out at Mondays meeting, the VTC agreed unanimously to take the matter further.
The letter, as had many others from the IWC on other issues such as Undercliff Drive, was considered condescending and unsatisfactory.
Opinion
Possibly without the actions of Cllr Scoccia and Cllr Fitzgerald (Bond) who waxed lyrical about the Cheetah Marine development on the eastern esplande at the Planning Committee in April 2007, the road realignment, the several applications to change conditions, the issue of the wall and the complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (amongst many other things) would not be a problem.
