Shoreline Management Plan: Ventnor Council Appeal For Extension

VB readers may remember back in August, we reported that Ventnor town councillor Chris Bonney was urging Isle of Wight residents to comment on the draft Shoreline Management Plan 2″ (SMP2).

The draft SMP2 is a strategic document setting out policies for the management of the Island’s coastline over the next 20, 50 and 100 years.

We also ran a piece at the beginning of September, advising about the SMP2 consultation going on tour around the Island.

When we say around the Island, we mean Cowes, Ryde, Wootton, Yarmouth, Sandown. The manned-exhibitions were open for seven hours at each location, giving a total of 35 hours face-to-face consultation.

Consultation exhibition coming to Ventnor
During Monday night’s Ventnor Town Council (VTC) meeting, Cllr Bonney raised the subject again, firstly pointing out that the deadline for comments was almost upon us (23 October).

He expressed outrage that Ventnor had been completely ignored during the consultation. Although the exhibition panels could be viewed at the Visitors Coastal Centre, it was off the beaten-track and by appointment only.

Cllr Bonney has arranged for the exhibition panels to come to Ventnor and volunteered to man the exhibition part of the time once they arrive. He suggested they remain in the foyer of the Winter Gardens for one week. All but two are being provided, so it was agreed that the remaining two would be printed by the VTC at minimal cost.

No active intervention from Ventnor to Totland for 100 years
Cllr Bonney explained that according to the draft SMP2, apart from a couple of small exceptions, there’ll be no active intervention by the Isle of Wight council along the coast between West Ventnor and Totland for the next 100 years.

Speaking to him since the meeting, Cllr Bonney said, “This decision will cast in stone what happens on the Island for the next 100 years. Once approved, there’ll be no new sea defences that aren’t already. People will not be allowed to defend their property if they haven’t already.

“Since no cash is available in the PFI for the Military Road project, we must be careful that once rubber stamped, the SMP is not used as an excuse to abandon the recently approved Military Road plans.”

Given that the VTC had been left out of the consultation process, it was agreed that the VTC would write to the IWC and request an extension to the deadline for comments.

Once the comments have been considered, the final SMP will then be prepared and is due to be published in December 2010.

All exhibition panels are available online. The consultation finishes on 23 October 2010.

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