A 2-and-a-half year battle to protect ancient woodland on Bembridge’s Love Lane is over as the 0.34-acre site has been purchased by a member of the Baden-Powell family.
The land was bought at auction by local resident Imogen Baden-Powell, the great-niece of Robert Baden-Powell, who founded the Scouts.
In early 2021, controversial plans were lodged to build 2 eco-holiday lodges on the site but were met with community uproar sparking more than 300 objections, something the proposed developer Love Lane IOW Ltd said was ‘bordering on mass hysteria‘.
The plans ended up going to the Planning Inspectorate, which rejected the application in May 2022. Just 2 months later the land was put on the market for £150,000 – a considerable amount more than the £13,500 it was purchased for in September 2020 (and even that was double the guide price!). It failed to sell so in January this year the developers walked away from the project and put the land up for auction as 2 plots.
The woodland was purchased in May’s auction by Ms Baden-Powell – the guide price was £30,000 plus fees.
Having grown up in the jungles of Malaya swinging on vines and climbing trees, and realising children in England don’t have the same opportunities to do so, Ms Baden-Powell says she wants to make a difference in honour of her father, who enjoyed nature as much as she did.
When Ms Baden-Powell heard the site was for sale, she thought it was her chance to do something, she said, protecting the land on the Island’s coastal path and stopping it from being developed.
Before it is opened to the public, a nature reserve is being created, which will be called Pop’s Woods and will be a place where the community can enjoy the space.
Working with local gardener and nature warden for the site, Phil Sard, so far trees have been planted and bug hotels, bird boxes and a hedgehog house have been installed to help wildlife thrive.
Speaking about the project, Mr Sard said they wanted to create something to stop future development and ‘nature being ripped apart’, making a sanctuary for people. Mr Sard feared if they didn’t take on the site, it would eventually have houses built on it at a time when he felt the Island was being overdeveloped.
He also felt if they could transform the land in Bembridge it would inspire others to do the same.
Mr Sard said:
“It is not going to be created overnight but an ongoing process.
“We wanted to create a place where people can connect, find peace and be free.”
Wow.God bless this wonderful lady.I once lived next door to her many years ago in Ryde and always appreciated a natter with her on the odd occasion.This is how we win against venal,envoiro-vandals.
What a fantastic idea, the hard work being put into it well done. Exciting times ahead for everyone. Let’s hope that the H&S brigade doesn’t interfere and spoil it for everyone, including the children playing in there and hurting themselves. Here’s hoping that the dog owners also play their part and collect all their dog mess!
Good and about time someone did something for nature instead of trying to kill it for cash
I notice that a shelter has been built already, nobody is complaining that a structure is now standing in there.? No planning permission needed for this structure on a piece of land.?
Mr Sard once built a cabin on land at the edge of St Helens nature reserve, so hopefully he doesn’t start living in this woodland or building another cabin and letting it out as an air B&B.
I’m sure that the yokels will soon sound him out
A managed habitat like this i suspect needs some type of structure,maintenance,storage etc?
Any type of structure on land not belonging to a house would most likely need planning permission.
I can’t believe how 25 people have dislikes to my perfectly reasonable comment.?
Fantastic news, well done.
This is what we need flora and fauna, not concrete jungles, with rabbit hutches…..
A very nice gesture by a very nice lady.
But the many NIMBY locals who were all moaning could have chipped together and bought it. Shame on them.
Finally someone put their money where their mouth is. So many want to dictate what others can do with their own land but not prepared to buy if off them. One question, did all the belly aching reduce the price?