A public inquiry into a controversial, appealed planning application for a mixed use development at Fort Victoria near in Yarmouth is taking place this week.
Hosted at County Hall, the inquiry – which began yesterday – is looking into Miles Blamire’s proposal for 5 residential properties, a commercial fisheries pier, retail space and a sea-to-fork eatery.
The proposed development would rejuvenate Fort Victoria pier, a culturally significant piece of the Isle of Wight’s heritage, while encouraging the UK’s coastal food tourism, a proven model according to the application’s Design and Access Statement.
Authored by rural property specialists, BCM, the document said:
“The economic benefits arising from such projects is exponential in the creation of skilled and vocational (and well paid) employment (direct and indirect), the generation of food provenance and a clear willingness to invest into the Island’s economy to act as a growing and leading destination.”
Blamire’s proposal has however encountered considerable opposition from the public and was refused planning permission on 22nd December last year.
Justifying the refusal, the council said:
“The proposed development comprises housing in a location that is not considered to be suitably sustainable, would be subject to flooding and erosion and would have an adverse impact on the existing character of the locality.
Article continues below this advertisement “Insufficient details of the proposed commercial uses have been provided to demonstrate that they would be viable in the long term or provide overriding justification for the housing.
“The proposed ecological benefits have not been corroborated and there is insufficient information to demonstrate that the development would have no adverse impact upon the special features of European protected sites.”
Freshwater Parish Council unanimously objected to the application in a public comment published in September last year.
Reasons given included that the proposal would compromise the appearance of the iconic landmark from both land and sea, the lack of any neighbourhood need for five big houses at a market value and considerable harm to the site’s heritage caused by the proportions of the development.
Michael Rainey, a retired Isle of Wight architect representing the Solent Protection Society (SPS), has denounced the development proposal as ‘arguably one of the worst’ he has seen in ten years.
Speaking at the public inquiry yesterday, Michael labelled the proposal unsustainable and sincerely hoped it would not be approved.
Mr Rainey is known for designs including St Lawrence’s iconic Haddon Lake House and the Brading Roman Villa Visitor Centre, as well as the Island architectural practice, Rainey Petrie Architecture.
The honorary treasurer of the SPS said:
“Throughout its existence, the SPS has sought to safeguard the landscape character of the shoreline, particularly outside settlement boundaries and particularly on both sides of the west of the Solent where incremental development has the potential to lead to a cumulative adverse effect – and we’ve seen this on the New Forest side, for example.
“We have resisted or sought to mitigate any development that impacts the essentially tree-dominated landscape of the seashore.”
The hearing continues.
