Beach Safety Buoys To Be Reviewed
Anyone who uses the beach regularly will almost certainly have seen jet-ski type craft travelling at high speed dangerously close to bathers; clearly an accident waiting to happen. Working with IW Council officers & councillors, a Coastal Community Strategy Forum has now been set up. This will encompass actions to improve our holiday tourism offer by enhancing beach safety and building on the substantial funding from Central Government. We are aware of the most recent cliff fall under Appley Steps - closing a popular walking route between the beach and Rylstone Gardens. This is one of many cliff falls over the years that has impacted and closed access between the town, esplanade and the beach. Part of this strategy will cover beach safety and enforcement polices in the Solent.
Development of a Beach Management Framework is underway and has identified specific actions on:
Review of all Safety Equipment and Signage
Review the replacement of Bay Safety Buoys
Investigate an Island wide Safety Policy or Byelaw
Island Line Upgrade Update
Infrastructure works at Shanklin Railway Station are going ahead at pace. Work to re-align the station platform height and replacement of railway lines and track bed are well underway. There will be further improvements to all the Island Line stations, including free station Wi-Fi and providing new ticket vending machines at Shanklin, Sandown and Ryde St Johns Road. From now until 31st March 2021, no service will run on Island Line whilst work is carried out to deliver the biggest transformation to the line’s infrastructure since 1967. As part of this project, the existing Island Line fleet will be replaced with newer and reliable trains; the new extensively refurbished Class 484 trains from Vivarail. These new trains will bring modern facilities to customers, including:
On-board Wi-Fi
Plug sockets,
Wheelchair spaces and Passenger Information Screens
This significant £26m investment will also see upgrades being delivered to Island Line’s infrastructure, including a new passing loop at Brading, which will facilitate trains to run a regular 30-minute service to improve connections with Wightlink ferries. The work to upgrade the track will also make journeys smoother, and upgrades to platforms will also improve accessibility. Funding for the infrastructure upgrade has been provided by the Department for Transport, Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and the Isle of Wight Council.
New Performing Arts Centre
We are both Trustees of Shanklin Theatre and Community Trust, and have been involved from the earliest days of saving Shanklin Theatre. The theatre is now a successful venue providing a wide range of performances, but this limits the availability of the theatre for use of our local community groups. In order to expand the provision for local performing arts groups, the Trust is in the process of purchasing the old Shanklin Library from the IW Council. Our long term plan is to provide a fully functioning performing arts centre properly fitted and equipped for community groups to use.
Blocking Development on AONB Land
As your local councillors, we both played a key role in dissuading Planning Officers in approving a housing development on the land off West Hill Road. This land is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that provides easy access to Hungerberry Copse and Shanklin Down. After meeting with local residents, objections were submitted by the local members and Town Council. This application has now been refused planning permission.
If you have, or wish to discuss any particular concern or matter, please contact us on chris.quirk@iow.gov.uk 07802 705831 or michael.beston@iow.gov.uk 07885 644426.
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