The Isle of Wight councillor for Ventnor has said he is "deeply concerned" after the council leader branded suggestions of reinstating Undercliff Drive, "foolish".

Around ten years after a significant landslip destabilised the highway, Cllr Ed Blake supports reopening the route.

However, after a recent landslide below the road in St Lawrence, leader, Cllr Phil Jordan, said doing so "would be a risk too far".

Cllr Jordan said: "I do hope those who are asking for that spend of public money — even if we had it — in an area that had just seen a landslip within 50 metres of the Undercliff Drive that has lost properties and road, it is an absolute folly."

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In a statement in response, Cllr Blake, who is the ward councillor for Ventnor and St Lawrence, told Cllr Jordan: "You say it is too risky to reopen Undercliff Drive. Please outline these risks.

"The only things standing in the way of any reopening of the existing roads is your own political will, or lack of it."

Halfway along Undercliff Drive, safety barriers have recently been installed on parts of the footpath.

Isle of Wight County Press: Barriers on Undercliff Drive, Ventnor.

Below the Undercliff, in St Lawrence, some properties on Old Park Road and Hunts Road have been badly affected by a recent landslide and the highway has started to break up.

It comes months after a landslip in nearby Bonchurch, which led to the closure of Leeson Road.

Like Undercliff Drive, there have been growing calls to open the route to support affected residents and businesses, but the council has said it will not do so until data is compiled and assessed to see if the road is moving.

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Cllr Blake said monitoring equipment has yet to be installed, three months on, and he accused the leader of "giving up to nature".

To Cllr Jordan, he said: "The only thing you seem to be saying with any certainty is that you will not contemplate the possible reopening of Undercliff Drive because there was another landslide nearby.

"Using your own logic, are you saying if Leeson Road becomes unstable you will also consign it to the history books as a road for vehicles because there was a nearby landslide?"

Cllr Blake urged the leader to meet him, Ventnor businesses and government representatives to find funding to secure the routes.