Press release: February 16th 2005

A3055 stabilisation scheme Council decision

Commenting on Isle of Wight Council's Development Control Committee debate on the Undercliff road stabilisation and drainage scheme on Tuesday, St Lawrence environmental consultant Dr Paul K Hatchwell said: "We have been lumbered with a white elephant that will trash the Undercliff, when all we needed was to tweak what was there already."

 "I am deeply concerned that the Development Control Committee meeting on Tuesday failed to address any of the key procedural, legal or other specific landscape and habitat concerns raised, let alone the obvious grounds for a public inquiry given protected habitat and scenery concerns and failure to address alternatives."

Concerns over the impact of extensive compression pumping on water supplies in St Lawrence protected by the EU Water Framework Directive, possible settlement problems in houses and potential impacts on a Special Area of Conservation were also ignored. Possible liability for settlement damage remains unresolved.

The short debate appeared to be ill-informed and to reflect a 'done deal', with only three councillors speaking for and against, and two representations being heard. In contrast, a debate on a single garage brownfield site received extensive comment, and was deferred for further consideration.

This is despite the fact that the Government Office for the South East has today confirmed it is investigating possible grounds for calling the scheme in for a public inquiry, following submissions by environmental consultant Dr Paul Hatchwell and by members of the Undercliff Defence Committee. GOSE is currently seeking more information from the Council and the statutory bodies involved.

The Undercliff Defence Committee is also to formally complain over what they consider to be procedural irregularities that could have influenced the vote. In particular, they point out that it was incorrectly stated during the debate that Niton and Whitwell Parish Council had supported the scheme. In fact, they supported maintaining a road link, as does the UDC, but strongly opposed the woodland clearance and other key aspects of the current scheme. Corrections following earlier complaints on this crucial point did not find themselves into the debate. 

In the debate, the Council stated that negotiations with landowners involved were going smoothly, when it is known that at least one case is going to compulsory purchase, making a local inquiry inevitable.

The UDC is also concerned that many objections may not have been counted and given due consideration, and that DCC members may not all have received representations from the consultant prior to the meeting as they were given an incorrect contact list of its members.

The UDC is meeting this week to decide how to proceed on a number of fronts in continuing its campaign to halt the scheme and force a more balanced consideration of alternatives.

Undercliff Defence Committee

Dr Paul K Hatchwell: 01983 855458 (Technical issues)

Barbara Wright: 01983 730455 (UDC)

  Home     Contact UDC: +44(0)1983 730455;  +44(0)1983 856688   Email: post@undercliff.org