Affordable housing at a rural site in Wellow has been sacrificed in order to help the sought-after West Wight to Newport cycle track.
The 16-home development at Lee Farm, Wellow, was permitted by the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee on Tuesday night.
As part of the development, 1.75 km of land, some of which is the former railway track, will be handed over to the Isle of Wight Council to create the ‘Greenway’ cycle route. The landowner, Yarmouth mayor Steve Cowley, will bear the brunt of £155,000 construction costs, to make the land suitable as a track fit for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders.
However, the development will not include any affordable housing. Instead, a financial contribution of more than £27,000 will go towards provision elsewhere.
The application lived and died, Councillor Matt Price said, on the choice between affordable housing and the walking and cycling infrastructure. He said it was a tough decision as officers had said it may be the only chance the council had to secure the land towards the Greenway.
Councillor Geoff Brodie said it was a real tension issue but he had no doubt the brownfield site should be developed as there was housing need in the area. He said the council could not cast away the one-off opportunity although it would mean the loss of 6 affordable properties.
Councillors approved the application with 8 in favour, none against and 2 abstentions because those members did not go on the site visit.
Conditions were added, however, to ensure the Greenway was built and the money provided for affordable housing was spent in the local area. The houses will be built first but before they are fully occupied, councillors stipulated the Greenway must be constructed.
The use of the land as a public route will be available from the start of the project, once the legal agreement has been signed and handed over to the council.
So bikes are more important than house’s…….
It’s so we can see how those with a home live as we cycle past…..
More important than house’s what?
Houses are important but education is importanter.
I think it would a very thing to get bikes and horses off the road they are far to busy now . Theres lots of houses being built at the moment so i think its a good thing to make the roads safer
Seem to recall reading on I.E. just recently that the IoW Council were wailing about the lack of ‘affordable’ housing!
Yet more smoke and mirrors then!
And if/when the developer fails to construct the ‘greenway’ (wide footpath) what will be done to force them to comply???? Absolutely nothing, as usual. Trusting developers and builders to comply with the laws, agreements and regulations is fine as long as the work is checked and enforcement is used to get them to comply if they digress. When you have a weak, self promoting entity like IWC then all construction firms know just how much they can get away with, and will do!
Please accept my apologies. What I meant to write was, ‘supportive Planning Department encourage benevolent land owner to build some nice houses and a much needed cycle track’. I for one cannot wait to be one of the 8000 (estimated) annual users.