‘Dangerous’ Isle of Wight road improvements mean hedge change

The Isle of Wight Council is targeting Vittlefields Cross[1] -- where Betty Haunt Lane, Forest Road and Whitehouse Road join, on the outskirts of Newport -- in the hope of improving visibility for motorists. Two rows of hedges will be removed -- around 215 metres in total -- and replaced by new native hedgerow plants and a fence, set further back from Forest Road and at an angle to the main road. One of the hedges is over 30 years old.

The proposed removal of hedges at Vittlefields Cross. (Image: Island Roads) The Isle of Wight Council gave conditional permission for Island Roads to remove the protected hedgerow -- as designated under law in the Hedgerow Regulations -- earlier this week. The authority said exceptional circumstances are because it currently blocks visibility, compromising highway safety.

After a fatal crash in 2019 and a series of other incidents, County Hall bought the land on the corner of Whitehouse Road and Betty Haunt Lane, for highway safety improvements. The hedges on the junction of Vittlefields Cross which are set to be removed. (Image: Google Maps) Vittlefields Cross is the Island's "top collision cluster", according to the council.

In the space of four years, there have been nine collisions at the junction, resulting in one death and 29 injuries. In 2021, the Isle of Wight's Coroner, Caroline Sumeray, said County Hall should take action[2] to prevent future deaths occurring there. Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council told the Isle of Wight Council[3] while it was regrettable to lose ecologically important habitat like hedgerow, it needed to be balanced on how much safer the works would make the junction.

The community council said the crossing is "renowned as one of the most dangerous highway sites on the Island." Planning officers say the hedgerow must be removed within two years of the decision and it cannot be touched during the March 1 to August 31 nesting season, without consent from Natural England. In a bid to further improve safety around the junction, skid-resistant surfacing has been laid.

The installation of traffic lights was ruled out at the junction, despite a near 7,000 strong petition calling for them in the aftermath of the fatal crash.

References

1. ^ The Isle of Wight Council is targeting Vittlefields Cross (www.countypress.co.uk)
2. ^ the Isle of Wight's Coroner, Caroline Sumeray, said County Hall should take action (www.countypress.co.uk)
3. ^ Isle of Wight Council (iow.gov.uk)