Freshwater residents have expressed alarm over a proposed mixed-use development including 69 housing units. The Heathfield Farm Camp Site application also proposes retail floorspace, road infrastructure and parking facilities. Bordered by Heathfield Road and the A3054 Colwell Road, the site occupies a total area of around 47,222 square metres and includes a mix of greenfield and brownfield land, according to the application’s Design and Access statement. The document claims a minimum 35% of the proposed housing units will be affordable, to comply with local planning policy. In objecting comments residents have flagged increased traffic and pollution in the area, pressure on public services and infrastructure, and environmental degradation. Robert Copeland commented:
“The village can’t cope with the extra load put on it by the housing development, in terms of more residents requiring services, such as the doctor, dentist and shopping, plus the extra traffic it will generate.”
Tommy King wrote:
“With constant roadworks and traffic lights in Heathfield Road already I am really concerned about any new development that will cause noise and disruption over a considerable period of time and the impact this building work will cause to the other residents in Heathfield Road, most of whom are elderly. “I am also concerned about the environmental impact, this green belt area of woods/fields affected have nesting birds, red squirrels etc and this will be completely destroyed by this planning application.”
A “regular patron” of the camp site, Graham Hall from Ryde, said it was the “jewel in the crown” for Freshwater camping. He commented:
“This proposed development, once again, represents how our beautiful countryside and local green spaces are being destroyed for additional housing and more importantly, huge financial gain for the landowner and developer.”
Island Roads lodged an objection with planning case officer Russell Chick concluding the application submitted “insufficient information” regarding proposed development traffic. As noted in the Design and Access statement, the Heathfield Farm Camp Site is a site allocated for housing in the Isle of Wight Council’s Island Planning Strategy. The strategy is a plan for development over the next 15 years and is being prepared with the help of Island community consultation. The council published its ‘submission version’ of the strategy in July which can be commented on until midnight on 19th August.
What does that picture have to do with the story?
I guess it is just to illustrate the nice looking detached house at about £800,000 is what the developers are aiming for. The half a dozen benefit hutches planned won’t look like that…
They’ve removed the one I was talking about. It was a plan of an area of Ventnor.
And as the islands indigenous population aren’t increasing by much each year – houses like this are for the endless stream of dross that crosses the solent.
We have our own home grown cross yet you fail to mention that!?anybody would think you had issues?.
Would those be the dross who bring their money with them and spend it on the Island?
The same “dross” that employs Island trades to renovate our scruffy houses, spend in Island shops, pay vast amounts of council tax to IOW Council and work at the Island hospital? The more the merrier.
The truth is the developers’ have heard every excuse for ANY building project a thousand times before, and are well equipped to combat each one.
They have heard roads unsuitable, not enough doctors, dentist, schools, jobs, not ‘affordable’ to low in dimbos who expect a state funded detached house for everything they breed , they know everyone’ suddenly’ cares about a horseshoe bat, or a great crested newt as they watch Eastenders , not having a clue about any wildlife.
Save your effort, It will happen whatever
The fact is West Wight voted in a Labour MP so you reap what you sow, although there won’t be much of that going on as it will be covered in concrete within the next 5 years…
You might find that it is not the job of an MP of any party to deal with local planning development applications.
Well it was Rayner who has called the shots on house building numbers. Last time I looked she was an MP… If the order is 500 houses a year then the local MP, wherever they are, will bow down and do their best to make it happen.
And you might find if only wise or honest enough to see it that Labour have doubled the number of houses to be built on the Island and UK grey/green belt areas to be more easily built upon.
Also they have given an amnesty to 100 thousand ‘arrivals’ already, so although YOU can never bring yourself to admit such, enmasse arrivals and massive building over our countryside is NOT mere coincidence.
Ought to have voted Reform, too late now
Gottalarf – Rayner is dealing with national planning, not local planning.
Sea-Y Nobody wants Deform. We’re better off without them.
What has that got to do with anythging? The MP doesn’t decide planning matters
Excuse me what ? The MP votes on planning reform, homebuilding targets, policies, etc.
The MP doesn’t decide planning matters (yet) but do you really think the council planning department won’t bow down to the local Labour MP who you can bet your bottom dollar will not say a single word against any planning applications as he daren’t.
Next year IoW is moving to a committee system, again, bet your bottom dollar that will become a full mayor led council within a couple of years as it is much easier then for central government to call all the shots.
With Labour’s new plans, there doesn’t seem to be any concern for infrastructure, There are too many accidents, the main roads are not able to cope with the traffic we have at the moment let alone local and rural roads. Town centres are regularly jammed even without the holiday traffic. Build build build! Concrete over natural land destroying drainage, wildlife, natural beauty, farm land. We complain about the destruction of the Rain Forest, and yet we allow our own land to be destroyed.
Mixed-use developments are exactly addressing parts of infrastructure concerns though.
Local government can put in new GP in retail spaces if they think there’s a need for that for example.
Car-dependency that lead to jammed traffic is something that has to be addressed on a higher level too – you can’t just ask developers to build cycling lane la or a train station on their land, you also need those things to connect further up.
You can have developments low on cars as long as you provide viable alternatives to driving, and that’s very much on the government.
I mean, mixed use is great. It’s as much as developer can do in this country to help places to cope with new demand. It’s up to local government to fill in that usable space.
If you’re worried about lack of services, just ask your council to provide new services in those retail spaces?
If you’re worried about traffic and pollution in the area, ask Island Roads to change your streets into LTNs? Change streets to one-ways and build cycling lanes? Lobby for more buses?
sue – a ridiculous post
It’s as much as developer can do in this country to help places to cope with new demand – there wouldn’t be any new demand if all illegals were deported the moment they showed up and additional controls on legal immigration were in place.
If the IW Council refuses to accept any benefit funded moves or benefit spongers moving here – no more demand.
sue says, if you are worried about lack of services – ask the council – are you for real – it is no one wants the jobs and there isn’t the money available.
lobby for more buses- they are already every ten minutes ryde to newport
LTN – are you for real – IOW has high numbers of elderly – they cant walk or cycle – get a grip
The Island has barely 30% of its residents aged 60 or over – check out the IOW Council website.
Oh dear oh dear are you related to Isle of Pink???this council are still trying to work out who to blame for floating bridge farago they would not fair well with dealing with any of thos perfectly reasonable requests. .your living in fantasy world!
Nothing wrong with mixed use.
The island needs to build more homes to house
the needy.
So many families on benefits are suffering and need help,
there are so many unmarried mums with children who need
homes to live in.
Stop complaining.
Perhaps the mums should think more carefully about having children while they are single. The world doesn’t owe them a living/
Well get married first then.
This council doesn’t want Greenfields and trees they don’t pay council tax they want more houses the bigger the better the more money they get the more money they waste and why should they care they won’t be retiring here
You voted for it now you’re on the receiving end.Kier Starmer says build build build and do away with the wealthy people’s winter fuel payments. Latest score Starmer 2. Freshwater0.
Do you think it is sensibleuse of taxpayers money to pay a fuel allowance to wealthy people?
Why is it that people assume retired means wealthy. My wife is retired, after working for many years often on poor money as there was no minimum wage. paying tax, but because she is married to me and I am still of working age, she gets no assistance other than her basic pension. Which is less than half the state minimum wage. And now they take what little the do give, away by taking the fuel payment. We’re not rich, but we Get by. And whilst I do think it is wrong for the rich and wealthy who don’t need it to Get the payment, we punish the majority, for the sake of the minority. Is that morallybright?
No I don’t, and I was a recipient. Richer people should NOT get the fuel allowance. All benefits should be means tested.
The council needs to make up it’s beleaguered mind.
Are we a biosphere or a building site?
We can’t be both!
Or are they happy to be called out as hypocrites?
Climate change is a scam, climate emergency? So why keep building!
Stop the imports, stop development.
Curses be upon those who voted Labour.
I’m afraid they had their mind made up for them as soon as Labour got into government…. concrete will come before fields and farming and as for tourism am I not mistaken to think that it is the quietest summer season I have ever seen….
Think of us in Bembridge, we are having S–t loads of houses built on FARM land here. I tell you what were all
F–ked.
Love the thought of Bembridge having it’s fair share of new houses. Great news.
But the dentist has announced today they are closing so just where are the facilities & Doctors & we are becoming so very overcrowded where will it all end !!!!!
The Village Can’t Cope or Local Schools Closing Due to Low Pupil Numbers? I can’t keep up. Also unsure where Local Businesses Close Down Due to Lack of Customers fits in with the narrative too.