Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s old school, Eton College, wants to build houses on a field in Seaview despite receiving a formal warning after it cut down a 150-year-old oak tree.
In September last year, Seaview residents were in uproar after they saw much-loved trees, including the oak, felled on the land known locally as Donkey Field.
The trees did not have protection orders in place but due to the size of the historic tree, locals believed a felling licence was necessary.
The investment manager of the Eton College Endowment’s property portfolio, Clearbell, said it was satisfied the trees were legitimately felled as they were unprotected and below the threshold required for a felling licence.
In a letter obtained by campaign group, Save the Donkey Field, the Forestry Commission (FC) formally warned the school about the alleged felling.
The FC said having considered all the circumstances, no further action should be taken but did advise of the consequences should unlicensed felling take place.
The authority said it had the power to refer matters for criminal investigation and prosecution by a magistrate, potentially leading to the Proceeds of Crime Act being applied to any financial gain made on the land which would be seen as a result of illegal activity.
To save other trees on the site, residents successfully obtained tree protection orders from the Isle of Wight Council.
At the time, the council said while the order did not stop planning applications being put forward, it could ensure trees are part of the planning discussion.
Clearbell said in October last year the site had been deemed suitable for up to 12 houses in the council’s strategic housing land availability assessment process.
The removal of the tree was to clear access into the site.
Now, a public notice, in the back of today’s (Friday) Isle of Wight County Press, Eton College says it is intending to submit a planning application for 9 homes on the site, to the rear of Solent View Road, but wants other owners or tenants of the land to come forward.
No date for when that application may be submitted has been given.
A spokesperson from Clearbell said the current significant underdevelopment of housing on the Island, with the council being told to presume in favour of sustainable development, was noted and it hoped the application would help meet the need for housing on the Island.
The majority of the 9 homes, Clearbell said, would be 2 or 3-bed homes, aligning with the requirements of the Island’s housing needs assessment.
It hoped to bring forward the development in a sustainable and traditional manner, incorporating a design that fits comfortably within the locality.
The landscaping scheme is said to improve the existing habitat and ecology, linking into the accent woodland.
The spokesperson said:
“As an educational charity, Eton College would use proceeds from the development to continue to fund its educational financial aid programme and its network of school and youth club partners.”
2- and 3-bed homes in Seaview, that well-known employment centre with such exellent public transport links!
Who says laws are just for other people? (answer: Bozo and pals)
Odd how the squeal is much louder when the ‘better’ areas such as Seaview and Bembridge are under pressure from housing development.
The rest of us can have the worlds unwanted dumped upon us to create future horrific ghettos in which our children will have to live in.
so, the wealthiest school around wants to ruin the isle of wights greenland, natural habitats and ability to remove C02 from the atmosphere by concreting it over, ruining more of our quality of life on the island, by adding to the pollution, traffic, congestion and demands on our infrastructure, just so that they can line their own pockets, whilst living many, many miles away from the island.
These disgusting, selfish, arrogant and ignorant environment wreckers, need to clear off somewhere else – our islands environment and natural habitats are not theirs to destroy.
council – refuse it – we have too many houses being built already
Quite, but they can
t, NoIsland plan` in place. And who let that lapse? See previous administrations for answers.they can – there doesn’t need to be a plan in place – just say no
Oh this is just wonderful, if this goes ahead then it’s bye bye to any rights. Not just DFLs anymore, but snobby DFLs, I’m sure it will go through no matter how much anyone protests. Where’s Seely then, is he going to protest, I’d like to think he might have the balls to do it, but I somehow doubt it.
Excuse me, but please correct me if I am wrong… Do tourists come to this Island for the beautiful views, fresh air, peaceful surroundings of a rural Island ? OR are these so called tourists just prospectors eyeing up places for second homes. Do we honestly need more homes on the Isle of Wight ? There are no REAL jobs here, except in the tourist industry, including places for short term accommodation, hotels etc., or shop work part time, zero hour contracts.. no security there, plus just basic wage..
So what type of people will BUY said homes ?
Simple. Little Tarquin’s mama and papa, will buy one for him when he turns 18 for a little jolly hollibob home. Most kids have a mum and dad, but noooo not the snobs, mama and papa indeed.
Yes, you go geez, class war !!!!!!
I quote: It hoped to bring forward the development in a sustainable and traditional manner, incorporating a design that fits comfortably within the locality.
The landscaping scheme is said to improve the existing habitat and ecology, linking into the accent woodland.
How can you improve it by destroying it with housing?
They want to build on the land, submit plans,clear trees, now want the owners/tenants to come forward, so its not they’re land in the first place but are carrying on like it is, or have i totally missed something?
Why would Seely stop this its not his side of the island and all his m88 went to Eton College they will come first not us
So ‘Clearbell’s spokesman states that the Island is underdeveloped, further words fail me.
yes – clearbell spokesperson is more of a bell end
Where is Bob the berk’s comment on this? Only interested in his career not our island!
Probably no finger in this pie.
Yet again money talks and they do exactly what they want – decimating trees. The island is underdeveloped mmmm only if you want it to turn into one big housing estate!!
The island is a tourist destination because it’s beautiful and has lots of unspoilt nature but for how much longer?
Entitled idiots how about knocking down their college for housing much better idea and that will help stop the social cleansing and self righteous many feel the indignation of these institutions.
How can you improve by taking away Greenland and habitats for animals, cutting down trees and taking away oxygen?
That field has been there since I were a baby and I used to love walking up there to feed the donkeys and get attacked by geece. I take my own children for walks around the area.
There aren’t going to be any places of natural beauty left shortly. The world is already over populated, our island is over populated. Our hospitals and doctors can’t cope as it is and you want to ruin things even further, all for a post code and because you ‘think you can do what you want because of whom you are!’
It is the over populating that is the problem. Greedy developers and wealthy people cash in on it, not caring what they do to an area they don’t live in themselves. They just laugh at the locals they know they are going to upset but it doesn’t impact on their lives at all, they still sleep easy knowing how much more money they are making for themselves.
This represents only a tiny piece of land that universities own on the island.
Over the next few years there will be more and more of these developments.
As a matter of interest there are several fields used for Solar farms that the universities
lease out on the Island. Nice earner at aprox £1000 an acre
Back handers spring to mind