A project to redevelop a former car wash and private car park in the Isle of Wight’s county town with housing has been rejected by the Isle of Wight Council.
The brownfield site proposal would result in ‘oppressive living conditions’, a decision report concluded on Harding Holdings’s application to convert and modify a redundant car wash building into seven houses and develop a terrace of three homes on land next to Trafalgar Road and West Street in Newport.
Harding Holdings’ agent, Solent Design, previously said the scheme represents a ‘high-quality’ regeneration of a redundant site, contributing to meeting local housing needs, enhancing the built environment and delivering biodiversity and sustainability benefits.
The plans, which also included associated parking and bin and cycle storage, prompted opposition from Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and 11 objections, including from ward councillor Julie Jones-Evans.
Criticisms included a failure to demonstrate each dwelling would benefit from sufficient private amenity space, access concerns, insufficient daylight for homes and it being unusual to have so many one-bedroom houses.
County Hall’s decision report for proposal 25/01432/FUL said:
“The proposed development would result in small dwellings with limited windows and due to the proximity of adjacent boundary treatments and curtilage buildings, would lack adequate outlook, natural ventilation, access to light and privacy, as well as a lack of suitable on-site outdoor amenity space.
“The proposal would therefore result in unacceptable residential amenity and substandard and oppressive living conditions for the residents.”
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Other reasons given for the refusal include a proposed footpath leading to a loss of privacy and ‘security issues’ for residents, concerns over congestion, noise and pollution as well as a lack of submitted information relating to ecology, Biodiversity Net Gain, drainage and surface water run-off solutions.
In addition, planners pointed to a lack of a financial contribution towards affordable housing and mitigation for potential impacts on the Solent Special Protection Area.
A statement previously submitted by Solent Design said:
“The scheme provides a mix of one-bed and two-bed houses, designed as smaller, lower-cost units that function well as starter homes.
“There is strong demand on the Isle of Wight for smaller homes, particularly for young people, single-person households, and couples seeking their first step on the housing ladder.
“By focusing on modestly sized dwellings, this proposal will help meet that need and support local affordability.”
Morey’s Wood Mill is a better site for small apartments. Why has nobody seen fit to tackle that? It’s been empty for donkey’s years.
Now the refusal makes sense, if the developers had made a large financial contribution for the IOW to waste then it would have been given permission.