Below you’ll find the latest features highlighting the upcoming events here on the Isle of Wight If you would like to promote an event to OnTheWight readers, find out more Our Travel section is the place to check for fast and accurate travel updates from all the ferry companies we’ll also let you know about road closures and diversions Below are articles relating to Isle of Wight travel Isle of Wight Observer News The Isle of Wight Council is taking steps to get Belgrave Road An IW Council spokesman said: ‘‘The Isle of Wight Council has made every effort to contact the landowner using various methods of communication “The council has spoken to legal representatives and can serve a notice on the property owner without going through the court system “The notice would inform the landowner of the intention to remove the debris and make the necessary repairs The council would then act through the court if the landowner has not made contact to recover any appropriate costs Hopefully this will now speed up the process of opening Belgrave Road.” Eos The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides a significant rockfall occurred on Belgrave Road in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight in southern England Whilst the event was not large in scale compared with many of which I write this can probably be classified as a near-miss Steve Mew, a local resident, has collected a wonderful drone video of the aftermath, which is on Youtube:- The location of this collapse is [50.59421 This is a Google Street Map view of the site Yahoo News has a series of articles about the collapse and the history of the site The rock mass appears to have been on private land which may have made its management more complex It is interesting that this collapse occurred during a period of unseasonably warm early Spring weather the Isle of Wight Council has a very interesting role available:- Community Coordinator – Landslide and Coastal Change Carey, J.M., Moore, R. and Petley, D.N. 2015. Patterns of movement in the Ventnor landslide complex, Isle of Wight, southern England. Landslides, 12, 1107-1118 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10346-014-0538-1 By Matthew Hibberd AN AIR ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN from HMS Sultan is preparing to take on a 106km (65.8 miles) run around the Isle of Wight this weekend; which will look to raise funds for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) Marcus Wakefield is due to participate in the Isle Ultra Challenge over two days from May 3 to 4; where he will be running the maximum possible distance in forecast warm temperatures across the Island The route will take him along stunning coastal paths featuring the iconic Needles Marcus is currently studying at the Gosport-based training establishment as he continues to undertake the Leading Air Engineering Technician Qualifying Course; which is part of the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School He is keen to raise as much as possible for the RNRMC for the benefit of Service personnel Marcus said: “I’ve been in the Royal Navy for just over four years now and during this time I’ve played a lot of sports and Austria as part of the Navy Downhill Mountain Biking Team I’ve also been selected for the RN Hockey squad The RNRMC have supported me throughout with a number of sports grants and also do a lot of fantastic work supporting Service Veterans I’d really like to do as much as I can to give something back and support their wider work further.” He continued: “I decided to sign up for the Ultra back in October after going out one day to try and run a marathon I really enjoyed this and thought it would be fun to try and run further The Isle of Wight is a great physical challenge with lots of paths to climb that will push my body to an extreme I’m aiming to raise at least £1,000 for the RNRMC with the support of others we can smash this target.” Readers can read more about the challenge and sponsor Marcus by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/page/marcus-wakefield-ultra-challenge?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL PICTURED BY BAZ SWAINSBURY: Air Engineering Technician Marcus Wakefield will participate in the Isle of Wight Ultra Challenge on the 3-4 May for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) Managing Director: Connor Steel Editorial Director: Trigo Neo Starden Editorial Consultant: Robin Young The Gosport & Fareham Globe is your free local newspaper delivering news features and much more to your screen every week Our editorial team are committed to delivering high quality news for the people across both boroughs; their enthusiasm helping to develop this paper Email: editorial@thegosportglobe.co.uk and his attempt to clear debris left behind by a collapsed wall in Ventnor Karl Hunter decided enough was enough this week between Ventnor Esplanade and the top of the town remained closed 18 months after the collapse He said: “The closure has had a detrimental effect on Ventnor sea front I understand there is a dispute between the owner and Island Roads “So I approached the owner and asked if he had any objections if I cleared the road and he agreed he would like to see the road open I went with a couple of friends and started sweeping up and clearing the affected area “I believe there are better ways Island Roads could have approached this The IW Council and Island Roads make these decisions on the community’s behalf but the community does not have an input; we don’t have a voice which can be heard “I have suggested putting a brace on the wall to support it but at least the road would be open one way If there was the possibility of the wall collapsing imminently but nothing has happened to the wall for the last 18 months I was hoping that by taking this action it would put pressure on Island Roads and the council to get the road open.” a spokesman on behalf of the IW Council and Island Roads said: “The closure of Bath Road followed the collapse of a private wall and it is the responsibility of that private landowner to make the required repairs “The council is currently engaged in legal action to secure repairs which is delaying the ability to reopen this route in the town there remains a risk of a further collapse and until that risk is removed the road should not be re-opened to the general public.” The IW Observer understands the building is currently an HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) and the owner insists the wall has nothing to do with him claiming the responsibility lies with the IW Council Ventnor has suffered a series of setbacks over the last couple of years with landslides also causing long-lasting road closures blocking access to the town and its businesses Ventnor enjoyed victories over Fair Oak and Ryde totalled 147-9 from their 40 overs with Mark Holmes Ollie Morgan and Dan Cox taking two wickets apiece Ventnor reached their target with two overs remaining for the loss of six wickets Ventnor amassed 258-7 in a 40-overs-a-side contest with Ryde Mark Fletcher hit eight boundaries in a fine 76 while Kevin Cooper thumped a quick-fire 41 from just 14 deliveries This was followed by Jack Powell with 41 and Ali Cotton (25 not out) which ensured their side set a challenging total Chris Russell (2-27) and new Aussie paceman made early inroads before Ryde steadied the ship with knocks of 43 from Tom Roscoe and 42 not out from Matt Webb Have you seen missing Sarah Watson from Ventnor The 56-year-old was reported missing to police on 25 February however has not been seen since 10.30am on Monday and are asking anyone who has seen her between Monday and today (Wednesday Police have been conducting enquiries across the Island including in the Culver Down area as part of this investigation and was carrying a black rucksack with gold zips and fastener or have any information to assist our enquiries The long-running dispute over the ownership of a collapsed wall in Bath Road one of only two which leads down to the seafront is still closed 18 months after the collapse leaving residents frustrated that the only action being taken so far is the threat of legal action to determine who owns the wall in question who formed a working party with some friends to clear and tidy up part of the rubble-strewn highway Karl has continued to make enquiries after the IW Council claimed it was “currently engaged in legal action to secure repairs which is delaying the ability to reopen this route in the town.” it is the landowner who is taking Island Roads to court He is appealing to revoke a Formal Notice served against him by Island Roads on April 8 2024 to make repairs under section 167 of the Highway Act 1980 provides documentation to support an argument that the wall was built by the IW Council or its predecessors long after the property above was built given the council was the body responsible for construction of the wall it is the council’s responsibility to repair it Now Karl has come up with his own solution adding: “I have been working with the Keep Ventnor Moving group an independent structural engineer from PTR Consulting Engineers to construct a temporary solution to get Bath Road reopened for the summer season and beyond Mr Realey drafted a report which detailed a temporary solution to brace the breach from further collapse at a cost of £9,500 plus VAT which will get the road open quickly but the likely economic benefit to local businesses The alternative is to wait for a court date and then probable appeal which could see Bath Road remaining closed for this season and the next “I would urge the IW Council and Island Roads to take up this relatively inexpensive solution for the economic benefit to Ventnor town in these financially difficult times.” Island councillor for Ventnor & St Lawrence claiming the landowner was holding the town to ransom “The closure of this key road has had a significant impact on both residents and businesses along the seafront and surrounding areas “I believe action should be taken to reopen the road and reclaim the costs when we know who owns the wall I also believe the IW Council is blocking things and I just don’t know what the reasoning is behind it.” added: “The continual buck-passing must stop “Residents are fed up with hearing endless wrangling between the council and Island Roads about who is responsible while nothing gets done There is an alarming lack of urgency whenever there is an issue with a road in Ventnor and it is businesses and residents that suffer need to get a grip and clear and reopen Bath Road and Belgrave Road in without further delay.” An Island Roads spokesperson said: “We issued a formal S167 notice to the property owner in Bath Road as part of our responsibilities under the contract we have with the Isle of Wight Council first issued in November 2023 and then again in March 2024 requires the owner to carry out repairs to the wall Island Roads does not have the responsibility to take enforcement action or enter into a legal process on behalf of the council and therefore this matter is currently with them to work through the legal process.” But there is hope: if Karl’s report is submitted to the IW Council it says it would review any proposals it received An IW Council spokesman confirmed: “The council and Island Roads have not been approached by anyone but would be happy to review any independent proposals put forward to repair the wall “These would need to be reviewed by structural engineers to ensure that any repairs made were structurally sound and the road could be reopened safely The council will continue to work through the legal process to determine to owner of the wall and instruct them to carry out the necessary works.” Yesterday marked a month since Belgrave Road was closed by a massive rockfall and adding even further pain to local residents and businesses there was an emergency closure by Island Roads of Madeira Road will sail from Spain to the Isle of Wight next month promising a spectacle reminiscent of the Spanish Armada’s attempt to invade English shores in 1588 The commemoration marks the beginning of a major heritage project designed to highlight the Island’s overlooked significance during the Spanish Armada when the Isle of Wight played a role in national defence against the fleet of King Philip II of Spain History books will need to be re-written as a result of the re-interpretation of a letter written at Carisbrooke Castle by Captain George Carey His reference to six leagues (18 miles) is now believed to refer the distance the fleet travelled during the engagement not the distance off the Island’s coast as previously thought can trace her family’s roots on the Island back to the 16th Century She said: “This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle and an amazing day of family fun as well as a celebration of Island history “As I watch the ship sail into Ventnor Bay I will wonder if my ancestors stood in Ventnor and watched similar galleons approaching and how they would have felt.”