CONTROVERSIAL PLANNING APPLICATION IN BRIGHSTONE MET WITH YET MORE OPPOSITION

Latest plans put forward by mainland-based Domusea Developments for housing on land adjacent to Lily Grove, a property on Main Road in Brighstone, have once again been met with stern opposition. An initial plan to build 2 houses on the site, which is a wetland meadow in The Buddle River watercourse, has been superseded with plans to construct four houses and a lengthy access road. The initial planning application met with stiff opposition resulting in 38 letters of objection from residents and organisations such as The Green Party. Just one letter of support was submitted. The revised plans have proven to be even more controversial. To date, a further 82 letters of objection have been submitted including those from Plantlife International, The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE), The IOW National Landscape (AONB) Partnership, The IOW Society and Brighstone Parish Council. There have been no further letters of support. A petition with more than 130 signatories has also been submitted, whilst a call-in request to the IOW Council planning committee has been lodged by local councillor Nick Stuart. A consensus view emerges showing that the revised plans have not adequately addressed issues and concerns which were raised at previous stages of the planning process. Framed by protected ancient woodland and the Buddle Valley SINC, concerns have been expressed that the site is unsuitable for housing and that the proposal is unsustainable. Residents and reputed local ecologists have argued that the site is a rare example of a significant wetland meadow habitat and ecosystem. Compelling evidence that the proposal contravenes both national and local planning guidelines has been provided by objectors. The proposed drainage plan for the site has led to serious concerns that the developer has failed to acknowledge or manage flood risk properly and that flooding of properties downstream of the site will occur. It has been argued that the developer has relied upon incomplete and out of date ecology reports such that proposed habitat and biodiversity plans have no useful purpose and serve only as a smokescreen for the environmental damage the development will cause.

Opposition to the proposal has also highlighted concerns that the development will cause material harm to the Brookside Conservation Area and negatively impact on tranquillity and dark skies within the IOW National Landscape (AONB). The Parish Council, IOW National Landscape Partnership and numerous residents have reiterated the point that the site is a greenfield and that it is not previously developed land. There is deep disquiet that the development will detrimentally impact on neighbouring residential amenity and privacy. This proposal has been described in one objection letter as the ‘very worst of speculative development which meets no local housing need’. Brighstone’s Isle of Wight Council representative Nick Stuart has described the proposal as ‘a cynical land grab of a green field important to flood mitigation and critical to The Buddle catchment ecosystems’. He stated that ‘this land should never be built on and if you ever felt the need to lie down in front of a bulldozer this is the place to do it.’ If you are concerned about this proposal full details are available on the IoW planning portal under planning application number 23/00591/FUL.