VIDEO: The Isle of Wight is now firmly on the map with potential investors and developers who could help to deliver Island regeneration, following the launch of the Isle of Wight Council’s regeneration programme to a crowd of over 150 delegates today (Thursday).
Attendees were absorbed throughout the ‘Isle of Opportunities’ showcase, hearing details of the regeneration opportunities available at key sites across the Island. The ideas include completely overhauling Newport Harbour to include relocating The Riverside Centre; creating a new garden village at Parkhurst with a minimum of 700 homes; building new industrial and resident units at Nicholson Road in Ryde; a new transport interchange and new residential and commercial units on Ryde Esplanade, plus building a brand new apartment and retail complex on Shanklin Seafront.
Those attending today’s event at Cowes Yacht Haven included development and investment companies from across the UK interested in hearing about the Island, and representatives from local communities who will help shape local regeneration plans; securing benefits for local people.
They heard from keynote speakers; senior representatives from global companies already based on the Island, including Ashima Sukhdev from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and James Luter from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind, about the benefits of locating here. John Devlin, CEO of recent high profile investors Ascensos contact centre will also speak. Also on the agenda, will be discussions around the challenges connected with providing sufficient housing, well paid skilled jobs and improving the Island’s tourism offer.
Councillor Dave Stewart, leader of the Isle of Wight Council, said:
“The Isle of Wight Councils regeneration programme balances the desire and need to undertake improvements to the economic and social conditions of the Island, while being sensitive to protecting our precious environment, unique heritage and way of life.”
In order to better understand the views and priorities of the population of the Island a major programme of engagement with Islanders will take place during the summer and Autumn of 2017, which was also launched at the conference. The Isle of Wight Council hope to have firm plans in place with developers within just 3 years.
Councillor Stewart continued:
“The Wight We Want” is an Island-wide conversation about the kind of Isle of Wight people would hope to see in the future, that will also seek feedback about what is important to people now. We want to speak to as many people from a breadth of backgrounds as possible and will be launching a programme of engagement over the coming weeks. An online survey launched today will gather views of the general population on what needs to change to make lives better.”
In addition to a wide range of workshops held in community locations across the Island, a youth conference, a business survey will be undertaken. The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/the_wight_we_want_survey.
The results will be analysed and published to help inform the development of the vision for regeneration on the Isle of Wight, with a detailed strategy to be published in spring 2018.The strategy will set out the key Island-wide projects and how they will improve the Island quality of life, as well as a series of area regeneration plans developed in conjunction with town and parish councils tackling locally identified priorities.
Councillor Wayne Whittle, Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said:
“We are delighted by the response of the development and investment community to the initial regeneration opportunities we are presenting at the conference. In parallel to selling the benefits of investment in our regeneration plans, we are anxious to begin an important dialogue with the population about what kind of Island we all want to see for future generations. I would encourage as many people as possible to complete the survey launched today and attend community events to be staged in the coming months.
“Being a local businessman as well as a local councillor, I know how important having business-friendly environment can be to ensuring successful regeneration, as well the value of capturing the view of local people about what improvements they would like to see, as well as what residents and businesses want delivered locally.
“We are saying there is your lego box, what can you make with it?”
A new website for the regeneration programme has been launched, containing site information and more – www.iwightinvest.com.
