The Government has announced that it has allocated £2.45million to the creation of a Rural Employment Hub at Branstone Farm near Apse Heath, providing new industrial and commercial space creating 100 new jobs.
Thousands of new homes and other vital infrastructure projects have been given the green light with more than £124million of investment in the South East confirmed by Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick today (Tuesday).
The move is part of the Government’s comprehensive plan to deliver upgrades to local infrastructure and boost skills to help fuel a green economic recovery.
Branstone Farm will be a mixed-use development designed to act as a template for sustainable work/live developments. This is an exemplar project, bringing to life the Island’s recently acquired Biosphere status, regeneration strategy and emerging land use plan.
The development will provide 42 affordable housing units and commercial space in new and renovated buildings, creating 100 new jobs.
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher MP said:
“This Government is determined to deliver the changes we need to ensure the housing market delivers the well-designed, environmentally sustainable homes the people of the South East need, both now and in the future.
Article continues below this advertisement “This investment to create around 6,000 new homes in the South East reaffirms our commitment to uniting and levelling up every part of the country as we all work to bounce back from one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
Chris Ashman, the Isle of Wight Council’s director of regeneration, said:
“The ethos that underpins this proposed development is sustainability in its broadest sense — people living and working alongside each other within an environment that values the special character of the landscape.
“The aspiration to bring to life the concept of the biosphere is shared by all the partners involved.”
Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has welcomed the government investment in the scheme:
“I am delighted that together we have managed to make a strong case to government for this funding. The Branstone project is an exciting one for the Island and will deliver jobs and community housing.
“We now need to take a more long-term approach to modest and sensitive development on the Island that Branstone represents.”
The funding commitments come ahead of a radical overhaul of the planning system due to be announced shortly.
Work at Branstone is expected to begin in March 2021.
More houses – where are folk going to work, get a dentist, doctor, hospital – crazy !
They won’t rest until every tiny bit of green land on the Island is concreted or graveled over.
What they don’t seem to realise is that there will never ever come a time when they can sit back and relax and say “At last, we have *enough* houses/homes.” – There will never be enough, as there will always be *more* people! They will never stop breeding and quite often, it’s the most irresponsible and feckless types who breed the most. So when the whole world is smothered by concrete and houses and there is still the cry going up of “we need *more* homes!”, where will they build them then, when there is literally nowhere left to build? I guess they will already have tried draining the oceans. Houses underground? Under the sea? On sky high platforms?
Too many people, and too many of the worst types of people and that is the thing that most people are too afraid to look at.
Have you ever seen the film ‘Idiocracy’? A very true reflection of what’s happening today.
your right but whats the answer then
Stop building now & let the Island recuperate from this virus then stop permanently!
Our so called Council & MP wants a complete overhaul starting at the top & working down.
Get rid & get some one who has true passion for OUR lovely Island.
If these idiots are voted in again god help us.
Coming up 1 ruined Island!
End immigration, we have more than enough now, and they are self reproducing so why bring in more newcomers.
If you know where I get a house for £408 a piece, let me know so I’m no longer an absolute mug paying rent each month.
Complete joke, branstone farm used to provide a great outing for school kids. But I suppose that doesnt matter to govt and iow council.
Make the most of your welcomings bob seely not be long before you have no say in anything.
You have dug a very deep hole.
Located where there is no public transport ,no pavements on the main Newport – Sandown road , no primary schools with vacancies for miles, no doctors surgery for three miles. …. shall I go on? And as well as all that on predominantly green field site.
Plus ca change. Let’s hope it is not monikered “village” or even worse: “park”.
More bloody houses.
Island is becoming a concrete jungle.
The infrastructure can not & will not cope as its struggling now.
All these holiday makers save cash on exorbitant ferry costs just park on M25 shoulder for the week you will have a more entertaining time.
About time our so called MP blocked these plans!
So sad, so many developments, so much countryside lost, insufficient doctors, dentists, schools. Traffic at a standstill on many roads yesterday, today and now every tomorrow!
What do you expect from Councillor Dave “Pugwash” Stewart, his ex-cop muscle tactics will get him whats he want and f*** the rest of the islander opinions. Maybe he should think about giving more money to the hospital or god forbib for the island to have a second hospital built, and without the stupid cone outside.
“ 6,000 new homes in the South East “
Seems Bob wants them all built on the Island ! ! !
When are those supposedly in charge going to realise that its NO good building more houses when there are NO jobs, not enough doctors, dentist, hospital beds and school places?
I take it oldbutalive you did not sign his petition particularly asking for significantly less development?
An excuse for another 30 mph speed limit
If you think it’s ok to build more and more houses on the island, where are all these people from the mainland going to work????
We have just one NHS hospital, St Mary’s can’t cope now because many patients have to go to the mainland.
It won’t be long before Portsmouth will be a more desirable place to visit, the island will become a concrete hell hole ..