The new owners of the former Harcourt Sands holiday park in Ryde are pushing forward with the site’s redevelopment, clearing further areas of land as well submitting a request to the Isle of Wight Council to adjust planning permission.
An application has been submitted by K-Haus to change the already-approved road layout within the site, as well as the re-siting of the first 14 units. The request has been made to maximise the views across the Solent with the first houses set to be built being the ones closest to the sea.
Outline planning permission was originally granted in 2016 to the then-owners ZeroC, with a reserved matters application approved in 2017 for the first 35 homes. However, the Dorset-based company pulled out of the scheme and it has now passed into the hands of Ipswich-based K-Haus.
K-Haus specialises in sustainable pre-fabricated homes across the UK. At Ryde, the company intends to construct modular build dwellings based on a German system designed by Kampa. The homes are made watertight within just 3-4 days and are then fitted out in-situ over 12-14 weeks. The properties are equipped with an air-source heat pump, solar panels, LED lighting and EV charging points.
It is intended that 3 show homes will be built to demonstrate the types of homes that can be purchased, with 11 properties then created to the purchaser’s preference. A further 21 homes can be built before further reserved matters applications have to be submitted to the Council.
The majority of the 11-hectare site will be made up of 4-bed homes (56), alongside 52x 3-bed homes, 15x 2-bed and 5x 1-bed.
Work has recently ramped up to clear much more of the derelict brownfield site and K-Haus intends to bring the redundant land back into use and provide much-needed housing as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for the company has told Island Echo:
“K-Haus is very pleased in helping reinvigorate Harcourt Sands site, over the next 3-4 years our intention is to build out a range of 1, 2, 3 and 4 bed Bauhaus style homes. Starting with 14 this year, we are focused on building high quality netZero homes that will allow clients to customise their own internal fit-out, together with approved external finishes.
“Recognising the change to working patterns driven by the pandemic, all 14 homes will offer comprehensive home office facilities with fibre connectivity. Subsequently, we envisage Harcourt Sands to become a very vibrant homeworking and living environment, that will support a healthy work/life balance for those that live there and in addition will directly help the local economy.
“Our aim is to use Harcourt Sands as an exemplar to enable us to further grow development activities across the UK and establish a UK based state-of-the-art modern methods of construction manufacturing facility”.
Island Echo first reported on the redevelopment of Harcourt Sands back in 2014 when the first planning application was submitted. The application came 8 years after Harcourt Sands, then owned by Renowned, closed with the loss of 167 jobs. The site has now been disused for 15 years.
Development costs are said to be higher at Harcourt Sands due to site clearance works and necessary engineering associated with the slope of the site.
So now it is going to be pre-fab kit houses built in a german factory, so not only will they not be for local people they will not even be built on the Island or UK for that matter.
So where has half a sausage Bob gone you would expect a response from our supposed MP on this not for Islander’s development.
Big ben. Have you asked Mr Seely for his opinion, or did you put in any comments on the planning to the council before it was passed.?
Big Ben. Have you asked Bob Seely for his opinion of the plans, or did you submit any comments to the local council??
I thought some of these timber clad buildings were being regarded as inflammable a foam clad, at least that what was being implied on the TV last night when looking at buildings on the Mersey.
what about the council buying the land and building a hospital instead
LoL at the people who think, without any evidence, that it’s all going to be brought up by people from the mainland. First of all, as far as I know it’s not illegal to own a second home. Secondly you have no idea who would buy these. Could be successful island business people.
shut up tom – these are prefabs – all clunked together – these will be leased to the council for social housing or at least some will be, so that the lefty social engineering project of having everyone live around each other continues.
what that in reality means, is that those of us who have a lot of cash, wouldn’t buy any of these, if there is a risk of having to live next door to benefit spongers – why should I buy a place, just to have some dead beat next door in it for free.
these are not going to be bought by islanders with cash – it will be for the influx of deadbeats and other people from everywhere else, except the island.
I suggest you actually look at what the Hauf houses are that are going down there and if you think there going to be for as you put it, benefit scroungers and deadbeats you are very wrong.
Looks like more contenders for the ugliest buildings competition, can understand prefab builds for cheap housing needs but i imagine most Islanders will not be able to afford one of these homes. I will be happy if i’m proved wrong.
Don’t think anyone talking about nissan huts, more like state of the art German engineering with low carbon footprint credentials.. just sayin (personally don’t find them ugly and I’m sure if designers thought them so, they wouldn’t be building them, innovative doesn’t fly with a lot of people, but for those with the money to buy this type of property, it does.. )
More expensive homes we need affordable homes or at least be able to buy 60 % so the young can get on the ladder not expensive homes with a sea view for oveners
This site has been closed and becoming increasingly derelict for several years. Now a developer is going to built houses which are modern, sustainable and low density. And all people can do is complain. I don’t see the problem in building nice houses, some of which may go to people from the mainland, others to people already here who might want to trade their present home. It is sometimes said that Britain needs to show tht it’s open for business. Same applies to the Island. If people want to come and live here, invest their time and money in our communities (spend their ample pensions with island businesses) they should be made welcome.
The affordable housing argument is a different one. Low income families need social housing and it is the responsibility of local government, not private bulders, to meet that social need.
There seems to be a lot of resentment shown anytime a new idea that might just make the isalnd a bit better gets raised. Is that beacuse people feel excluded by the whole process of remaking our island ? Perhaps if our councils could keep the public a little bit more in the loop about their plans then people wouldn’t be so negative.
Over 100 3 and 4 bedroomed houses, only 15 2 bedroomed! So, we know the market these homes are aimed at. When will our council stop approving these builds? All future new builds should house anyone currently on the housing list and then there is no need to build any more. There are plenty of properties for sale on the Isle of Wight without building any more. How about the council approve building a new hospital before any more new houses!
I don’t live on the island but bearing in mind the situation we are all currently in the British tourist industry is at some point going to boom again due to fears of travelling abroad.
An ideal solution for Harcourt Sands site would be to redevelop it as a holiday park to bring much needed tourism back to the IOW resulting in more jobs better economy.
Think back to when it was open and amount of money it bought to the island especially in the 80s and 90s
The pandemic we have been going through isn’t going to mean people are going to be able to buy theese properties when built therfore it may be more economically beneficial to the island to use the site as it was originally intended.
Just a thought and my opinion