Four years on from the most recent landslip, which resulted in the closure of Undercliff Drive as a Through Road from Niton to Ventnor for motor traffic, the IW Green Party is calling for an ‘all solutions’ discussion to the future of the route.

Hosting an ‘Undercliff – Quiet Road’ Coffee Morning (28th July, 10.30am, Niton Village Hall) a full range of potential functions and protections will be discussed.

These include reinstating the road, keeping it as it is, or enhancing the route as a Quiet Road for the use of residents, visitors, cyclists, horse riders and walkers.

As the largest urban landslide complex in Northern Europe, long term solutions to land movements across the Undercliff are difficult to pin down.

The area has seen many landslips in the last thirty years, and there will be more yet to come.

A sustainable future for the area must be a priority for the IW Council – and they must explore all options, not just a road for cars and heavy vehicles.

Vix Lowthion, IW Green Party spokesperson, said:

“The Undercliff is a haven for flora and fauna and must be protected. As a family-friendly cycle route and safe wildlife walk, opening the route to local-only traffic and promoting to our visitors would be a great draw for tourists, and offer the best of the Isle of Wight for people to discover and explore, safe from heavy traffic.”

All are welcome at the event, where teas, coffees and cool drinks will be served, and cakes sold to raise money for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, who manage the St Lawrence Undercliff Woods nature reserve.