Long-Awaited Belgrave Road Works Set To Begin In Ventnor

After months of frustration and road closures, work to finally reopen Belgrave Road in Ventnor is about to get underway.

Island Roads and the Isle of Wight Council have confirmed that residents can expect to see activity on-site from early October, once final approvals are signed off.

The first stage will see temporary scaffolding and safety netting installed to stop loose materials from tumbling down the cliffside.

This will pave the way for high-tension steel netting – similar to that used at nearby Gills Cliff Road – to secure the rockface. Smaller debris will then be removed by hand.

Engineers will then tackle the remaining huge boulders using chemical demolition – a specialist process where holes are drilled into the rock before a powerful solution is poured in, expanding and cracking the stones apart.

Officials say the method, already used successfully at Belgrave Road, is safer and avoids bringing in heavy machinery to the tight site.

If all goes to plan, pedestrians could be walking the road again by early November, with full reopening to follow once resurfacing, parapet repairs, and further works on the steps and Esplanade Road are complete.

Local contractors Stoneham Construction, Corefix and MG Solutions – all part of the original rebuild team – will again be involved in the project.

A council spokesperson said they understood the “strong local feelings” around the disruption and thanked residents for their patience, adding:

“We’re working hard to restore access as soon as possible, but this is a challenging site and timescales may change.”

The community of Ventnor has endured years of upheaval following the rockfall – but there is now hope the end is finally in sight.