2 houses on Marlborough Road in Ryde, which have been derelict for years after being purchased by the company behind the controversial housing project, Pennyfeathers, will soon be refurbished by the same firm.
An intermediary for Smallbrook Developments Ltd. has informed the Isle of Wight Council that works are expected to begin within the ‘next few weeks’ and should be complete within 6 months.
Michael Lilley, Councillor for Ryde Appley and Elmfield, said:
“Residents have put up with an intolerable situation for years. They have suffered falling masonry, rats, overgrown gardens and much more. Every visitor to the Island in and out of Ryde from the Bay area just see these eyesore buildings.”
“We have a desperate housing shortage and buildings like this should be in a good state of repair and occupied before any new build houses. It is a disgrace. So I am monitoring the situation.”
The houses are situated at Westridge Cross where a new junction was to be built under the plans for the Pennyfeathers project.
The fact the houses are now being done up suggests that the Westridge scheme has been dropped, and possibly the wider Pennyfeather scheme altogether.
‘We have a desperate housing shortage’
One simple solution would be to stop offering houses here to people from other Councils on the mainland.
You can’t have it both ways, complaining that there’s a shortage of houses whilst simultaneously offering homes here to undesirables and rejects from other areas.
So no Islander should be offered accommodation on the mainland if they want to move?
It is a two-way thing
Very true.
I know many islanders who have moved to the mainland for decent work.
Years later they all come back.
Money talks.
Always does Always Will little Brown Envelopes make me Sick.
I totally agree with you,well said.
So agree with you
And allocate empty properties faster, leaving properties empty for months is not helping anyone
Lets hope that the abomination that is/was the Pennyfeathers development has really been scrapped. It would have been a disaster for Ryde and an egregious act of total and complete environmental vandalism
So the previous owners lost their homes because of developers yet again, whom have left them to rot untill they decided to do something. On a positive note at least they are being done up and hope they will be used for decent people.
Question should be who gave the company the go ahead to strip and fence them off thinking penny feathers would be given Green light the Brown envelope trail should be followed and start weeding out those who put profit before Islanders.
unlikely they’ll be sold at prices well over what most islanders can afford and then be sat empty 6 months of the year by some rich toff as their second/third/fourth home
Every day I go past these houses & feel sad that they have been empty for so many years & that they should be returned to the housing stock. At last it is happening. Good solid buildings that will make happy homes for families again.
Been watching these 2 beautiful houses deteriorate over the years.
Criminal….
Thought they were due to be demolished for the new junction that was planned?
That’s correct, so no point doing anything to them as this is indeed destined to be a new junction, hence the compulsory purchase prior to their demolition.
Stop building on the Island F.F.S
What are the chances that you will be a good candidate to build none you fool
Any chance they could spruce up the corner of Monkton Street and St John’s at the same time?
and the old sh@thole gym building at Ryde St John’s Road.
The Island looks like it is twinned with Beirut
That large boarded up and peeling building on the corner there is indeed a disgrace. And its the first thing visitors see when arriving from St John’s rail station to the main road!
Michael Lilley tried to do something about it several years ago – I asked for a coat of paint at least – but he couldn’t make any headway with it. There MUST be a way!
They should bulldoze them both and use the space to add a roundabout.
The Isle of Wight where everything is that will do and nothing works like it should. Yes the houses are an eyesore but trust me this dump of an island has much bigger problems hahahaha best thing I ever did was get me, my family and my money off that island.
The state of the whole island is becoming an eyesore. The council has absolutely No idea what their plans are. Looking at the mainland infrastructure it surpasses the island a100 fold. Puplic toilets,Roads,pavements,shops,development,recreation,housing. Etc were so much missing out. And we vote any pay for the pleasure .just heard its now £0.50 to take a wee somewhere here. Disgusting .
So true, parking too. The council are the problem. No vision, they are still living in the seventies. The only thing that moves forward on the island is the cost of everything. I find it so frustrating every day as an ordinary citizen, to see so much potential growth for residents along with tourism, we are stunted. I am presuming the councillors, without even looking are pretty middle aged to near retirement lol We have to tolerate Island Roads until 2038, as it stands!
Tania all the time I.O.W Council will create blunders and the I.O.W Council staff spend time working from home ? our property tax will keep on increasing , I.O.W Council also gets 2 bites of the cherry by increasing the Council tax , THEN OUR SERVICES ARE CUT,,no wonder this island is looking shaby, i just hope this Council does not renew Island Roads (RINGWAY) contract in 2038, when Island Roads got their contract they had purchased all new Vehicles ,and New plant Equipment This left Island Roads with a limited amount of working Capitol, so now they are cutting Corners .
cant spend a penny any more