18 January 2007 - Green MEP Caroline Lucas has called on the Government to block plans to replace a road on the Isle of Wight by rejecting Compulsory Purchase Orders for the site.

Undercliff Drive was badly damaged by land slippage in 2001. The link between Niton and St Lawrence was re-instated for light and emergency traffic only, but Isle of Wight Council is determined to restore a link for coaches and other heavy traffic, even though the road will go through the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserve at Undercliff Glen and is not backed by residents.

Dr Lucas said : “ This £12.88m project is a waste of public funds. The road is being built on an active landslide, and is only expected to last either 30 or 50 years, depending on which documents you read.

“Yet any attempts to stabilise the mudslip will damage habitats and species in the vicinity that covered by EU wildlife designations.

"Since a road of the standard proposed is not needed at this location, the obvious course of action is to abandon the scheme. The light traffic road can be maintained and a sensible transport policy for this area introduced.”

The council say that the road is needed for use by coaches doing a round-the-island tour.

Dr Lucas said: "The council says that the closure of the route to coaches has meant a loss of business, but residents who have contacted me have pointed out that this area was not a regular stopping place for tourist buses even before the landslip in 2001.

“This road goes through a pleasant, heavily-wooded area, which is unusual on the Isle of Wight, and gives the place its distinctive character and ecology. The type of habitat found in this area and some of the animals that live there – bats and dormice – are so scarce now that they are protected by EU wildlife legislation.

“This environment should be protected for the benefit of residents, visitors and nature conservation.”

ENDS