Nearly 3 years in the making — a masterplan which could drastically change the face of Newport Harbour could be approved this week.
The draft form of the Newport Harbour Masterplan (NHM) lays out the Isle of Wight Councils ambitious proposals to regenerate the waterfront and surrounding areas and could be accepted as a supplementary planning document, which would aid future planning applications.
Key proposals of the masterplan, which has been in development since February 2018, include a new hotel, multi-storey car park, turning the Riverside Centre into a cultural destination and a footbridge over the River Medina with one of the council’s aims to create new homes and jobs for the Island.
The version of the masterplan being put forward to the council’s cabinet this Thursday (12th November), does still include houses being built on Seaclose Park, however, it is being recommended to councillors they approve the document without that housing in it.
This follows a campaign led by ward councillor Matthew Price and other local figures through a consultation period to get the housing removed, which was announced last month with the promise from council leader Cllr Dave Stewart, the authority wants to minimise development on greenfield land.
The report recommending the NHM to the cabinet says other potential development sites have been found for the affordable housing.
It was originally thought, including the housing on Seaclose Park, 40 houses and up to 268 flats could be built around the development but now the phases of the development could deliver around 228 residential units.
Consultation on the masterplan earlier this year saw people raising issues of character, cycling access and the harbour’s flood risk.
If the NHM is approved as a supplementary planning document, full planning permission would still be required to start any building works, which would be spread out in 3 phases over 15 years.
Some of the heavier infrastructure costs will be helped by bringing other areas of the plan forward first — with phase one seeing a potential 149 residential units, 49 being affordable, built first.
Officers warned in the report that the potential to progress is dependent on finances and if the overall number of residential units is not achieved it would impact on the viability and the ability to provide affordable units.
It has previously been said regeneration of the area would be funded by a mixture of private and public investment.
One issue still standing in the way is the determination of a harbour revision order by the Marine and Maritime Organisation which would alter the length of time land in the harbour could be leased, as currently leases stand at a maximum of three years.
Extra housing by the back door! And if they build the residential units first, I bet they refuse to ring-fence the funds generated to ensure completion of the whole project.
Just a bunch of money-grabbing crooks up to their usual tricks.
No doubt their developer friends the PINKS will be involved sending a large thank you card soon afterwards
The symbiotic relationship betwixt the council and their developer pals will be ‘tickled PINK’ over this.
The fears of mainland city overspill in the artist ‘impression’ seem to be well founded.
Be lovely to see a more accurate one though with mugging, a stab victim, and a girl with torn clothing as the Island gains the mainlands ills thanks to the greedy council.
Would be wise to vote them out.
Love the PC artists ‘impression’. No k nives or m ugged, nor r ape victims to be seen, hence only an impression I guess.
Don’t forget the car trying to knock down a tree, and not succeeding.
Yep. Residential developments FIRST the plan says, and then the rest later. Or in other words: residential developments FIRST then nothing else later because, oh what a surprise, the money wont be there. Stealth residential development wrapped up in a deliberately non deliverable overall plan.
They will build the housing first and the rest will just get shelved by future councils. It is a con DS and his mates must think the residents of this island are just plain stupid.
Why does regeneration always = cover an area in housing? Don’t these guys have any imagination or is it because it is all about the money profit before what could be an area for everyone.
Also with 228 dwellings being built why only 49 being affordable.
228 dwellings will mean at least an extra 456 cars all trying to find somewhere to park in an already overcrowded area.
Why are the houses that were to built on Seaclose Park still on the Plan, is that so they slip them back in when the dust has started to settle?
Why are they even considering building a hotel?
What about the traffic chaos that happens every day on the Fairlee road and Coppins Bridge, this proposal will just make that even worse.
It would appear this council has no vision, no morals and no respect for this island’s community.
Nope. Just Tory fascists. No goal, no vision, no future. Just decay.
with phase one seeing a potential 149 residential units, 49 being affordable, built first.
liars – they will cancel phase two onwards, saying, funding was cancelled at the last moment – more damned benefit hutches to house more deadbeats.
there aren’t great swathes of islanders sleeping in shop doorways with pockets full of cash, ergo we do not need more housing as there is no demand …………..apart from immigrants and people from other areas of the country that want to see the island concreted over into a disgusting petri dish of people and filth, living two inches from each other – just like cities.
I wish the council would tackle the more basic services that they are paid to look after ie blocked drains,dog fouling,litter hedges overhanging the pavements ect instead of getting involved in grand schemes that which are clearly beyond their capability,
So another high density development of flats with inadequate parking to ensure the revenue from enforcing road ‘safety’ doesn’t drop. If anyone truly believes this will generate anything other than central government new homes bonus payments for the council pension fund and profits for developers then I have a unicorn for sale they might also be interested in
Another Council money waster!
Spoiling the area with MORE houses.
Our Council at it’s best (not)!
What a rubbish picture, speaking of rubbish, no bins in the image either, shame really because this plan belongs in one.
Where is the council going to get the money from? Not my council tax. Wonder if it will work as well as the floating bridge.