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Ventnor: Landslip road closure reduced for walkers

Huge chunks of the cliffs have come away in the landslip at Ventnor

A road closure put in place following a landslip on the Isle of Wight five months ago has been made shorter to give walkers access to coastal downs.

Leeson Road at Bonchurch, near Ventnor, has been shut since the land fell away on 10 December.

The car park at the Smugglers Haven tea rooms has been opened up for walkers to get to Nansen Hill and Ventnor Downs.

Monitoring equipment to detect any further movement remains in place in the closed off Leeson Road area.

Bonchurch landslide homes
Some homes were left perilously close to the cliff edge after the landslip

The equipment will measure vertical and horizontal movement as well as any widening of existing cracks.

Isle of Wight Council said the car park was not in an area geological experts believe may be at risk of movement.

While the A3055 Leeson Road is shut drivers are being diverted from Ventnor, via Wroxall, and from Shanklin, via Whiteley Bank.

Isle of Wight Council Ventnor monitoring equipmentIsle of Wight Council
It is hoped the equipment will indicate the likelihood of any further major collapses

A Ventnor residents' meeting, hosted by the council, will take place on 14 May in St Catherine's Church from 17:00 BST.

The council said the ticketed meeting, which is already full, will include an update on the reopening of Ventnor Eastern Esplanade and next steps for Leeson Road.

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