Councillors from the Isle of Wight Council’s Alliance Group have laid out the ‘problem with planning’ on the Island, whilst encouraging locals to participate in a consultation on the next Island Plan.
The group recognises that some Islanders are unhappy with the decision made by the Isle of Wight Council Planning Committee this week about the West Acre Park scheme in Ryde. Under the proposals, which have now been approved, over 470 homes will be built on land to the east of Elmfield.
Councillors Paul Fuller and Jonathan Bacon have said the real problem is that the decision illustrates the fact that the Isle of Wight currently does not currently have an adequate planning policy.
Councillor Paul Fuller, Alliance Administration Cabinet Member for Planning, has said:
“The current Island Plan effectively went out of date over two years ago. Since then staff in the Planning Department have had to rely upon the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework. This situation has made it harder to refuse inappropriate applications or to defend Appeals against decisions refusing such applications.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Alliance Administration Cabinet Member for Environment and Heritage, adds:
“This situation has meant that, in effect, the primary consideration has become whether a refusal could be legally challenged, rather than whether the subject matter of the application is appropriate for the Island and its environment. Instead of being driven by the sort of considerations that should determine whether planning applications are permitted, such as our particular housing needs and important environmental designations, we have become subject to considerations that are nothing to do with what is good for the Island and its residents.”
Cllr Fuller adds:
“When a Local Authority, such as the Isle of Wight Council, does not have adequate planning policies, current Government policy, which requires a presumption in favour of ‘sustainable development’, means that, in addition to, failing to achieve what is required locally, the role of local councillors making planning decisions is also made very difficult. During the debate about the West Acre decision it was clear that councillors who were deeply concerned about the proposal did not feel they had the right tools to challenge proposals.
“The consultation process for the new Plan gets underway shortly. People who are angry, concerned or upset about the West Acre decision as well as anyone who has thoughts about the inadequacies of our current planning system are encouraged to contribute to the consultation and help create a system that works for the Island and which means we can make better decisions using the right considerations for our Island.”
The “Councillors were disturbed at the proposal ” they certainly weren’t when they refused 7 houses at Bembridge and included all members in the discussion. I am disturbed by their discussions now.
That’ll be because the two Captiva directors Pink and Gentlemen live in Bembridge….Now why on earth would they want a new development on THEIR doorsteps!
So the water table, flooding issues, the inadequate island infrastructure, growing benefit culture along with 2nd home owners ousting islanders from getting on the market is not the right tools to challenge the decision.
There are empty buildings all over the island ready to be converted into flats for the social rodents but no, builders don’t make enough money from conversions. Also why should the benefit cheats get a new 2,3 or 4 bed home when working islanders can’t get a foot on the ladder unless they only own half hutch. The whole system needs to be looked at and we as islanders should look after our own.
The deeply concerned Councillors would have had the tools, had a certain Councilor not been barred from attending.
The farming family have a legal right to farm for the duration of their 3 generation tenancy.
Yes we need housing for our Island residents, but we shouldn’t be throwing families off the land to obtain this.
What government and the planning officers seem to forget is for the sake of the environment we need to be producing food locally.
The West Acre decision is false and corrupt.
DO NOT TRUST PLANNING in any way shape or form!!!
Well it’s about time they get into the 21 century or should they wait until 2200 A.D
sack them all and start again
Absolute shambles that the farm is demolished to make way for another concrete jungle.
I believe that the Government are demanding councils to build houses.
About time the elected Council voted in by us Islanders are not doing a good enough job to stop this bug boy Government attitude or are our Council frightened to ‘rock the boat’ at the fear of losing Goverment funding for their other ‘pie in the sky’ money losing bad ideas?
If the council wish to appease all of the many many angry people, explain the gagging of Cllr Lilley,
and declare the decision illegal.
If “such a problem with planning” is well-known, should stop this very controversial decision and start all over again – properly.
And what do our illustrious Green Party think off this abomination?? A loud silence.
I think you’ll find that Green Councillor Critchison made a huge impact in the process by…abstaining! Says it all really.
It sounds like they are saying it is not fit for purpose. In which case none of them should have cast a vote.
They can’t just get away with saying we’ll change it in the future, that’s just not good enough.
If something is broken or not working properly it should be fixed before using it again.
And where is the leader, do we have one?
These people KNOW exactly what they are doing, and will be well rewarded for taking a few weeks of verbal ‘flack’ and so could not care less. FACT
“The consultation process for the new Plan gets underway shortly. People who are angry, concerned or upset about the West Acre decision as well as anyone who has thoughts about the inadequacies of our current planning system are encouraged to contribute to the consultation and help create a system that works for the Island and which means we can make better decisions using the right considerations for our Island.”
What is the point in asking for input when the revised plan already has identified and added new green field developments. Birch Close, Freshwater for instance which will in time join Heathfield Camp site, also green field…
joke !!! when they say “some islanders ” are not happy with the Westridge plan to build on farm land i am of the opinion that a few THOUSAND !!!! ISLANDERS ARE NOT HAPPY The planners ?? SHOULD LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC as already stated, we do NOT have the hospital , ,police ,, fire service , to cope with such an increase NOW THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST THE PLAN SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND GIVE THE PLANNERS AN IDEA OF THE OPPOSITION THEY HAVE .___-…. DO NOT SIT BACK AND WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN !!!
Oh stop digging a bigger hole for yourselves babbling on and on. Show us you genuinely care by listening to what the majority of us island folk want. Overturn this decision or I challenge all of you councillors who have passed this development to go down to Westridge Farm and watch that poor family leave their beloved home and farm the day they have to leave because all of that sadness will be down to you guys!
As usual the Council hedges round the real issues. A farming family turned off the land, and a Councillor barred from the meeting. Please Council answer WHY?
Asking for comments AGAIN!
We’ve already commented on the plan two years ago. All the concerns and objections regarding housing targets were made crystal clear then. They’re asking the same questions to which they’ll get the same answers.
I they thick or what? In the meantime the Developers and Landowners just game the system and talk sustainable BS on repeat.
I suspect that this rubbish is a simple plan to keep us quiet in the hope that we will lose interest! What will happen is a ‘new’ plan will be proposed (based around the input from Islanders obviously) which will be hailed as the solution to all our planning ills when in fact any new planning proposals will STILL be subject to appeal by the DoE etc which will follow Government guidelines and allow the appeal, leaving us just where we are now! Our planning department is powerless, useless and not fit for purpose, ruled by wimps and jobsworths who couldn’t care less for our wants, needs or desires.
I have recently received an email from the council asking me to comment on the new island plan. I have until October do so. I have attempted to read through the contents of the plan so i can COMMENT. I’m not a corporate
Barrister, just a normal IOW resident who is concerned with what is happening to the island. This paper is quite long, maybe to put people off responding. Why dont they just simply ask us for our opinion in a simpler format.
Probably dont have the nerve. They forget they are there to represent us, not themselves and their egos.
Won’t all this building affect our UNESCO rating? Or is this maybe what the vile developers are hoping will happen, that we lose it? And then they’d be no stopping any of them. I dread to think what our Island will look like in the future. It’s bad enough now.
So if the IOW doesn’t have as stated, an Adequate Planning Policy, all councillors have to do is vote NO.
NO TO BUILDING LARGE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT. Our road infrastructure would not cope, our one and only hospital would not cope, where are the jobs for these potential buyers, the waste water and sewage system is already overloaded. Where is the sense in adding to all this. NONE WHATSOEVER.
UNHAPPY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT …..
ENQUIRY NEEDED ASAP .
COUNCILLOR LILLEY STATES HEVWAS GAGGED ……….