Isle Of Wight Coastal Challenges Highlighted at Westminster

The Isle of Wight’s unique coastal risks were brought to national attention this month, as Natasha Dix, the council’s Service Director for Waste, Environment and Planning, spoke at the House of Commons.

Speaking to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee on Tuesday 18 November, Ms Dix outlined the Island’s 12km Undercliff stretch, the largest urbanised landslide

complex in north-western Europe, and shared insights on incident response and recovery.

She drew on real-life experiences, including visiting affected residents on Easter Sunday, to ensure MPs understood the personal impact of coastal erosion and landslide risks.

With 65% of Islanders living within two kilometres of the coast, Ms Dix highlighted the need for community support and long-term planning.

“Over 6,500 residents live within the active landslide area at the Undercliff and are consistently at risk,” she said.

“It was a rare opportunity to make sure the Government knows these people need our support.”

The committee also explored ways to support the mental health and wellbeing of those affected, with ideas shared by experts from other local councils.