More than 35 affordable houses could be among 74 built on the site of a former Sandham Middle School, subject to planning permission.
The Isle of Wight Council is due to decide whether or not to sell what used to be Sandown’s Sandham Middle School to developer, National Pride.
Money from the sale would be reinvested in sport or education facilities – projects agreed with the Department for Education (DfE) – so the Isle of Wight Council says it is important to accept the highest offer. The DfE also has to agree to site’s sale, if its future is not for educational purposes.
National Pride was the highest bidder after a 10-week marketing process, but the Isle of Wight Council has not revealed how much it is selling the site for, because it says the information is commercially sensitive.
County Hall says National Pride is also offering to build more affordable housing than is required by planning policies.
Sandham Middle closed in 2011 and its site was used until 2014 by Sandown Bay Academy – which went on to become the nearby The Bay CE School and is now based at 2 other locations.
The school’s buildings were demolished in 2017, because it was considered the safest way to prevent vandalism.
Once the decision to sell is agreed, contracts would be signed, tying the Council and developer into an agreement, before formal planning permission is sought for the brownfield site’s future.
Previously, the Isle of Wight Council had considered turning the site, off Perowne Way, into an extra care housing development for older Islanders.
Foregone conclusion, isn’t it?
What is the Council’s obsession with housing all the misfits from the mainland, and people newly arrived in the country?
How about looking closer to home and doing something which will benefit the people who live here?
Anything that involves money going to the council will happen
Just keep stuffing those new builds onto every scrap of land the Captiva/Barrets money blood-funnels can inject into ? like some foie gras goose liver fattened to bursting point.
Why not.? It’s a brownfield site, it’s a perfect place to build cheap affordable housing for local island people..
If not affordable housing or social housing then it’s a no.
How about confiscating large wastes of space like golf courses and creating quality lodges,highly landscaped and the lodges easy enplace/remove ? That strikes me as affordable ‘starter’ homes possible if you’re not that particular ego trip of ‘climbing the ladder’ nonsense? How about just having a roof,there’s no need for any ‘trailer trash’ cognitations around the concept ?
Ultimately what matters isn’t the domain of folks enjoying putting balls into 18 holes but addressing the indigenous,disenfranchised inhabitants of the island.The tourist value of the landscapes new-build plunderings will suffer regardless of being short the odd golf-course ?
I’m all for static caravan mobile homes in certain areas (like we have at Lower Hyde) local people could live in them year round and buy as affordable homes.
The prison is unused, a bit of demolition and put mobile homes in there, or use the entire building including the jail cells, knock three into one and fill the central area to make flats.
Ha ha ha ha ha, oh how funny….. affordable homes. Pull the other one. There’s no such thing.
Imo the decision and the ‘lucky’ lucrative developer would have been decided from the outset.
We know this is how the cogs turn. Brown envelopes a-plenty
So the council says “..its important to accept the higher offer..” yet then refuse to disclose the amount because it is commercially sensitive? So many things wrong with these conflicting statements? Put the amount out for the public, and other potential buyers to see in order to maximise the amount obtained.
Once this is done be open and honest to the public that voted you in and you might, just might, gain a little faith back from us all.
And please IE readers – lets not have the usual inane drivel about backhanders and brown envelopes. Lets challenge this administration and make them realise they have constituents that have brains that wish to enter into reasonable and intelligent discussions.
That’s right, more housing with no infrastructure to support them. It really is time for this council to go.
That was my middle school in mid 70s ! Nice school dinners and cool school discos lol
Only 35 out 74 affordable homes?greedy buggers.all dhould be affordable ones
Why not build the state themselves?
Brownfield site at least it’s not a greenfield site but make the affordable housing really that and the council should hear the prices before the building starts
Brown envelope in the post
Well good for them offering to build more AFFORDABLE housing than building policies require. Just make sure island families are given priority, not mainland trouble makers or overspill.