£2m plea for landslide repairs on Undercliff Drive

The land at Undercliff Drive on the south side of the island crumbled away in February

The government has been asked for £2m to repair a landslip-hit road which residents say is having a "catastrophic impact" on Isle of Wight tourism.

Ventnor Town Council wrote to Penny Mordaunt, the minister for high street and coastal communities, to ask for funds towards fixing Undercliff Drive.

The road was damaged by a landslide in February and has been closed since.

The council said the landslide was "equally catastrophic" as Eastbourne's pier burning down.

In a letter to Ms Mordaunt, who is also the Portsmouth North MP, the town council said the road closure was "devastating the residents of eight homes and one business".

Prime Minister David Cameron announced Eastbourne would be given £2m after the pier caught fire on 30 July, causing about a third of it to be destroyed.

'Injection of cash'

The landslide happened during reconstruction of the road and eight families are still living in rented accommodation after being evacuated from their homes.

A four-mile detour is in place and according to the town council a caravan tourism business in the area has received no income this summer.

In July the Isle of Wight Council's executive committee agreed to investigate three of six possible options for Undercliff Drive in St Lawrence.

Jason Mack, mayor and chair of Ventnor Town Council, said: "We are supportive of Isle of Wight Council and as far as we are concerned they are doing all they can. Maybe things could be speeded up with an injection of cash from the government."