Housing in Apse Heath has been refused by the Isle of Wight Council after the local councillor pleaded with the committee to refuse the greenfield development.
Applicant Connie Bentley wanted to build 7 houses behind existing homes on Ventnor Road, forming a new cul-de-sac on land that is currently used as a paddock for horses.
Following strong objections from the community, including the Island’s MP, ward councillor Councillor Clare Mosdell called the decision into the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee to make the final decision — as council officers recommended the development receive conditional approval.
Planning agent for the development, Andrew White, argued the council’s planning policies were out of date as they did not have a 5-year land supply. He said paired with a persistent record of under-delivery, the presumption is in favour of sustainable development and permission should be granted. He said:
“My client has invested her life savings to create a comprehensive application… The council has never ruled out developing this greenfield site (through pre-application advice) if anything it has been encouraging of bringing forward the right scheme.
“We understand there are concerns about building on greenfield land but there is no moratorium on such developments.”
Speaking at the planning meeting, Cllr Mosdell said the application would set a precedent for more open market housing schemes and shared her frustrations of a ‘bureaucratic system dictated to by legislation directed from those who have or will never be likely to set a foot on this Island’. She said:
“This development fills me with fear that passing this will open the floodgates for more applications for housing on dangerous roads. You cannot walk up Ventnor Road to Apse Heath shop without taking your life into your hands, cars speed down the road and there are accidents on a regular basis.”
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Cllr Paul Fuller led the objections, proposing refusal on grounds it was not near the settlement boundary and there would not be a community gain for the development.
Access to the site was also noted to be ‘severely lacking’ by Cllr Richard Hollis, who said the access road meant the current neighbours would have to deal with the new traffic and service vehicles.
The application was rejected by 7 to 3. Those in favour of rejecting the application were Cllrs Michael Beston, George Cameron, Fuller, Steve Hastings, Hollis, John Howe and Matthew Price.
Cllrs Jones-Evans, John Kilpatrick and Chris Quirk voted against the proposal to reject the application.
Cllr Brian Tyndall left the virtual meeting to give his apologies at another happening at the same time and was unable to vote on the application.
Well done
It’s about time the council looked after our greenfield space.
Now is the time for the Council to Reject all the unnesseccary developments planned for Ryde!
Where are the Jobs coming from, also will they make the hospital bigger or build another one!
This way they can appear to be caring, but in reality, little loss to them refusing a small development, yet that would NOT be the case on large scale building concerns, then morals, ethics and our beautiful wildlife and countryside can be bulldozed in smouldering heaps.
Not looking after it at all just need to be offered a bigger backhander
Now is the time for the Council to Reject all the unnesseccary developments planned for Ryde!
Where are the Jobs coming from, also will they make the hospital bigger or build another one!
They WON’T on multi million pound deals, which Ryde is, and Apse Heath isn’t, the ‘thank you’ cards from very grateful land owners and the symbiotic developers can stand tall on far more planners and top councillors mantle pieces then.
This way they can appear to be caring, but in reality, little loss to them refusing a small development, yet that would NOT be the case on large scale building concerns, then morals, ethics and our beautiful wildlife and countryside can be bulldozed in smouldering heaps.
Vote them out next time.
“The council has never ruled out developing this greenfield site (through pre-application advice) if anything it has been encouraging of bringing forward the right scheme.”
This is extremely telling. It shows the depth of the corruption of this disgusting council. They claim “climate emergency” but are happy to destroy the environment for fat cheques.
I think building is the only future the Island has – Tourism needs worthy attractions and the Island doesn’t have any.
Build tourist attractions which will create more jobs long term.
You have had since the 1970’s to do just that, and to date you haven’t managed it.
One of the main attractions of the island is its natural beauty, open fields, rolling hillsides, sandy beaches and oxygen generating forests.
every house that is built, destroys another bit of the above.
no one and i mean no one wants to visit a concrete jungle of an island.
Good. I should think so too. Now will they stop the plans to build on Branston Farm?
Depends on IF giving permission, as is it in huge building schemes, is lucrative enough for their developer pals to then thank them enough it seems.
For how can environmental issues on a small project be an ‘issue’ when it is not on huge developments.
See them for what they really are, and remove them asap.