Next phase of repairs to start at Ventnor Eastern Cliffs esplanade

The next phase of repairs to Ventnor's Eastern Cliffs promenade is due to get underway soon.

A large excavator is scheduled to arrive on site early tomorrow morning (Wednesday 31 May), ahead of work starting on building a new protective seawall in early June.

The machinery will be escorted down Shore Hill by banksman before 8.30am to minimise disruption and no road closures will be needed. 

Its job will be to install around 165, 12-metre long 'king piles' in front of the existing sea defences which have partially failed.

This will then be backfilled and capped with concrete to encapsulate the badly corroded sheet piles.

The king piles and backfill material will start to arrive on site later next week. 

Works will begin at the western end of the seawall failure (by the skatepark). Each section will be completed individually before moving further east.

Once the seawall has been protected, attention will turn to stabilising and repairing the existing apron, revetment and promenade to make it safe for people to use. 

The extent of these repairs will be fully assessed once the king pile work is underway. The result of the assessment will inform an anticipated completion date for the works.

The Isle of Wight Council closed part of the esplanade last November after a large hole and cracks appeared in the seawall just beyond the skatepark.

Since then, sections of the promenade have collapsed into the sea while investigations have revealed extensive damage below the apron of revetment.

This includes badly corroded steel sheet piles which can be seen in this drone
footage. 

The first phase of repairs involved using specially engineered rock sacks to plug the hole in the seawall to help stabilise the wider esplanade area.

The latest work is designed to help protect the seawall and maintain vital access along the promenade until the main Ventnor Coastal Protection Scheme is delivered by the Environment Agency.

People continue to be asked to respect the construction site fencing and do not attempt to enter this dangerous area.

More information is available on the council's website.