Those behind a major housing scheme on the Isle of Wight need to fix its problems and talk to residents, a local councillor has said.
Isle of Wight Councillor Warren Drew, for Ryde South East, said the controversial Pennyfeathers development was not fit for purpose after its next stage was rejected by the Isle of Wight Council last week.
Councillor Drew also slammed the scheme and those behind it — Hepburns Planning Consultancy and Smallbrook Developments — for a lack of consultation. He said the developers had fundamentally failed to engage with the community nor take on board their concerns.
Had they listened, Councillor Drew said, the planning committee may have been able to look more favourably at the scheme.
The last public consultation held on the development was in 2017 and residents said they have had no communication with anyone involved in the project since.
It was not for the planning committee to ‘mend’ the application and make it ‘palatable’, Councillor Drew said, as multiple conditions had been proposed to ‘fix’ the scheme.
The committee should be judging what is before them, he said, and when something requires so much work to make it acceptable, it was no longer the developer’s plans.
Speaking about the future of the site, should another plan come back, Councillor Drew would welcome it as the land is suitable for development but the current plan, he said, was not fit for purpose. A new scheme would have to be well thought out, he said and would need a consultation with the local community.
Councillor Drew, said:
“Ryde residents are mostly of the view we need housing in the town, particularly starter and affordable homes,
“We have a crisis, particularly in the rental sector where 2/3 of private landlords have left the market.
“If the 900 homes were of the right affordability, I would say yes they are needed.
“I am not against development and I would welcome genuinely affordable and social-rented accommodation.”
More homes may be needed, but not in this location. This development is fundamentally wrong and should never happen! This area doesn’t have enough GPs, getting an NHS dentist is nearly impossible and St Marys is full. The nearby roads cannot cope now, and with brown field sites unused nearby this sort of development is nothing short of environmental vandalism!
The comment about infrastructure, doctors, dentists and traffic etc are equally valid at any location on the Island. There’s nothing unique about this site.
no, ryde does not need more homes – it needs less people – get rid of the spongers that move here from the mainland on taxpayer funded moves, get rid of dingy people, get rid of airbnb, get rid of second homeowners and stop the hand wringing do gooders pandering to every sob story going.
Starting with us
Most of the spongers on the island are born and bred on the Island,
majority of mainlanders are pensioners who have worked hard all their life.
Do your research.
More homes are not needed in Ryde.
Developers need to move to the mainland if they want to keep
developing they are ruining this beautiful island.
As much as Sunak and his mates would have us believe otherwise, doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical staff don’t grow on trees. You can build infrastructure like hospitals etc, but there’s no point if you can’t staff them! As the patriotic islander says, the hospital is full, but it’s also understaffed!
You obviously need to attract more people form the mainland to staff the hospitals and dentists. The locals are clearly not bright enough to fill those roles. The locals are only fit for running the dodgems and sitting at tills.
Very true.
Where would Islanders be if it were not for the experts at
Southampton and Pompey Hospitals.
St Mary’s are good at referring people to the Mainland for treatment.
By the way have you seen the way the locals run the Dodgems on the Island
they couldn’t run a bath between them.
Lol
Geoff many locals are clueless, that’s the problem.
That is why better treatment is provided by Southampton and Portsmouth
hospitals.
From the intellect shown by your comment, I take it you are one of them.
Neither do we want it, or need it. Time to stop the stupidity and let green fields remain green!
‘Ryde residents are mostly of the view we need housing in the town’
Councillor Warren Drew needs to take his own advice and ‘speak to the locals’.
I don’t know anyone who thinks we need more housing on the Island, apart from Councillors and others at the Council.
The Island has a declining birthrate and the increases in population are coming because we are actively bringing people here from the mainland, people who are problems for other Councils.
Please, anyone who thinks we need a thousand more homes on this site for three to four thousand extra people, make yourselves known and explain why. It simply doesn’t make sense.
Build on the old derelict holiday camp site at Puckpool, what an eyesore that is, also
what about the other eyesore the old skating rink and the old Hotel in George Street Ryde.
Pennyfeathers is not needed.
Think of the climate and wildlife.
Just because we have homes doesn’t my kids do. It’s hard for them renting on the Island.
I want them to live near me, I want my grandchildren to be in my life. Anyone who doesn’t want that doesn’t make sense to me.
I want there lives to be better than mine. Life moves forward. Wanting our children to suffer is horrible and you should feel bad.
There is such a great opportunity to create a National Park
on this proposed site.
It can become a FREE tourist attraction for everyone to enjoy.
Install some kiddies rides etc, build a Cafe.
It could become the Islands 1st large park, parks are something the Island
lacks.