Road reopenings planned for cliff collapse town

Plans have been announced to reopen roads in a town which has been partially cut off by a series of land movements and collapses.

Homes to the east of Ventnor, Isle of Wight, were left teetering on the edge of a collapsed cliff in December 2023 which led to the closure of the coast road to Shanklin.

Geological testing could begin within weeks to see if the road can be opened in the autumn, the island council said.

Elsewhere, Gills Cliff Road could reopen in August, six months after a large rockfall, while sewer repairs which have closed part of Newport Road are due to be completed on Saturday.

Gills Cliff Road has been closed since tonnes of debris fell on to the highway in February

A council spokesman said: “We fully understand the problems being faced by the Ventnor community as a result of recent events.

“Our intention remains to re-open all these important routes as soon as we are confident it is safe to do so."

Leeson Road, the A3055 between Ventnor and Shanklin, has remained closed since the landslip in December which forced residents to leave 20 properties.

16 hectares (40 acres) of land was displaced in what was one of the largest landslides recorded on the south coast of England.

Isle of Wight Council said plans for three exploratory boreholes were progressing and these could be drilled in August.

It said the purpose would be to understand the area's geology and to create an early warning system for landslips.

Isle of Wight Council has no plans to rebuild Undercliff Drive

Gills Cliff Road in the town has been closed since rocks and debris fell on to the highway in February.

The forthcoming work will see large sections or the rockface covered by heavy duty steel netting.

On the B3327 Newport Road, Southern Water has been replacing a displaced sewer at The Graben that it said was starting to create a sinkhole.

Part of Undercliff Drive to the west of Ventnor has been closed for 10 years after a landslip left the ground unstable.

Council leader Phil Jordan said in March rebuilding the road would be "folly".