REOPENING Undercliff Drive is still a priority, the Isle of Wight Council boss has said — even though the issue was dropped from yesterday’s (Thursday) cabinet meeting.

The council is looking into the affordability of a feasibility study on the road, which stretches from Ventnor through St Lawrence to Niton, and has been closed since a landslip in February, 2014.

At Monday’s scrutiny meeting, chair Cllr Andrew Garratt asked why it had been dropped from the agenda.

Council leader Cllr Dave Stewart said the cabinet was still committee to opening the road, but wanted to assess the cost of a study before committing to it.

He said rebuilding the road alone would not be enough. A solution was needed to deal with the underlying problem of water pressure, which had caused the land to slip.

Solutions could include placing geothermic rocks on the road, but Cllr Stewart said it could cost between £100,000 and £1 million.

A number of reports have already been compiled, including one by Bournemouth University which looked at the impact of the road closure.

Cllr Stewart said: “A lot of people work in guestimates but I want to know the facts and the costs before we commit to anything.”

He said he hoped to bring the plans back before the cabinet within six months.

“I hope by that time the feasibility study will have been done,” he said.