Islanders should have ‘a great level of confidence’ in the Isle of Wight Council’s planning department, a recent report has said.
It is after figures were revealed that highlighted the council’s quality of decision-making for planning applications.
National monitoring statistics of the Island’s planning authority show it has a ‘very good standard’ for non-major and major developments.
The council says it is above the national average and ‘comfortably clear’ of any thresholds which would see the council assessed for under-performance.
The report was presented to the council’s planning committee on Tuesday, where members thanked the officers for their work.
Following decisions made by the Isle of Wight Council, 54 plans were appealed to the Planning Inspectorate between April 2022 and March 2023.
During the same time, the government body determined 36 appeals were made against the council after it refused planning permission, compared to 65 in the previous year.
Of those 36, 11 were allowed (30.6%) so the projects were able to go ahead.
The figures are notably higher compared to last year, the authority says, — when only 14% of cases were allowed — but it also says due to the relatively low number of decisions issued, the outcome of a small number of decisions can notably affect the overall average.
The Planning Inspectorate has recognised it has a backlog of cases but the figures are broadly comparable to previous years when between 39 and 44 decisions were issued.
The performance of the planning committee was also analysed in the report — with out of 14 applications determined in line with the officers’ recommendation. 2 of the 36 appeals were against decisions made by the committee, and in both cases, they went against the officers’ recommendations. The Planning Inspectorate overturned both decisions.
The report says in light of the statistics, there should be a great level of confidence in the quality of the decision-making of the local planning authority.
Chair of the planning committee, Cllr Warren Drew, said the council should have full confidence in what the planning authority was doing and it was great to see the statistics.
Cllr Geoff Brodie said the report entirely reassures him and underlines the good performance of officers, confirming he had absolute confidence in them.
What tosh! Refering to the Westridge Farm application,
A hard working family thrown off their land.
Ryde’s last dairy farm now lost forever.
A total disregard for the environmental impact of such a development.
Probable loss of the category red endangered wild life.
A Judicial Review imminent once the application is signed off.
And lets not forget the complete disregard shown by this Council towards the residents views and opinions!!
O yes, I have every confidence in our oh so wonderful IW Planning department…..I think not.
The Council are getting ready to create 15 minute cities.
They want to build in masses in one area so everyone will then
live in those areas and everything will be within 15 minutes from them.
Soon we will be living like the poor people do in China,
it’s happening all round the world.
Whether you vote Tory or Labour the same agenda will happen.
People need to vote Independent
Watch a chap called Jeff Taylor on You Tube he explains exactly what is happening
The reason why they are not rushing out charging points for EVs is because they don’t want
vehicles on the road.
Walk or cycle is the future.
I think you’ve got a long way to go before you convince the man in the street , too many unwanted , unnecessary or downright dodgy developments let through.
I am afraid I do not have any confidence in this council or any other.
Unbelieveable, a report commissioned by the council, compliled by the council against a national statsitical model state we should have confidence in them,although a third of planning appeals went against the council in that year with all the associated costs to the tax payer. To have any faith in anything the council says you have to have a report compiled by someone not connected with the council and whose job does not depened on the outcome
This report does nothing to give me confidence in the councils ability to make decisions on planning applications. It has always been a case on the Island of “it’s not what you know but who you know”. Westacre Farm and Pennyfeathers are perfect examples of their incompetence.
I believe planning works on an who you know business, also many
Homeowners carry out works without planning ever knowing.
Who ever checks what Homeowners have done.
It’s about time all homes with planning works carried out
are viewed and given a new higher Council Tax Banding.
Be laugh of the day
Islanders should have ‘a great level of confidence’ in the Isle of Wight Council’s planning department, a recent report has said…
Many sensible Islanders have zero confidence in IWC, full stop . let alone the planning department ..
ABSOLUTE and UTTER RUBBISH !!
Wow what spin, can’t even paint you’re home or fence now days or improve home conditions and replace windows. Planning on the Island is decidedly made on who you are , who you know and money gets you what you want. No consistency and ridiculous refusal decision,large housing allowed while change of use refused!.
What have they ever done for us to make us feel this way? Allowing developers to decimate farm land? Somehow I think not.
So we are being told we ‘should have confidence’ in the Planning Department – but the reality is the majority of us don’t. Just because they pass lots of planning applications it doesn’t mean they should – i.e.unaffordable housing on greenfield sites. In May 2022 an independent review of the very same planning department highlighted 6 areas for improvement including backlog of cases, to be more democratic, and to rebuild trust with the community – so I wonder who is behind this latest report – could it be IOW Council or are the planning department “marking their own homework?”
“Confidence in the Planning Dept” ?
When they have just passed hideous pods in an area adjoining the AONB and Dark Skies area?
They were ordered by the Planning Inspectorate to pay £1000 to people because they approved planning permission for a property that took all their privacy away.
They are very good at ignoring objections.
More properties approved and the IW Council get more Council Tax.
Unlikely to be unbiased.
Good planning is not about statistics it’s about looking at what’s there and blending in and fulfilling a need
Is this report entitled ‘We are telling ourselves exactly what we want to hear.’ by any chance?
I’m sure that those who contribute to these comments sections don’t feel they have confidence in the IWC planning department.
I don’t have faith in the council at all.
How can we possibly have confidence in them?
Let’s take a look. They have agreed to several vast, massive, sprawling developments.
First, there should be NO developments allowed until they have made a sewage system that had separate pipes for rain water and sewage. Until that single thing has been seen to.
We simply cannot handle the sewage we all ready have! Just look at how many times Southern Water has dumped human waste in OUR oceans, beaches and everywhere it can, and probably where it cannot, definitely should not! How can it possible be allowed, to build such huge developments, when we cannot handle what we have? It cannot be deemed a safe and sanitary for all the people that live here, to add even more tons of human excrement?
Council Tax was introduced 30 years ago
I wonder how many homes are paying a much lower band
than they should be.
It’s about time Council Tax was reviewed, personally I would abolish council tax
and charge an higher rate income tax.
Much fairer in the long run, it would also mean pensioners would not have to worry
about paying Council Tax (They have paid enough tax all their lives)
I bet Royals don’t pay Council Tax.
MPs don’t.
Reviewing these comments, it seems my opinion of the planning department is not unique. The most outrageously arrogant ,lazy and incompetent local government dept. I have ever come across. It is probably the biggest obstacle to incoming investment. Worse than the ferries! The most accurate image of the council is the council offices. That says it all.
I only have confidence in the fact I wouldn’t /don’t trust anything /anyone on / in the council ….
To earn trust and confidence you have to prove yourselves, and I see no proof whatsoever !!!!!
I see waste waffle and bickering so a vote of no confidence is issued !!!!!!!
Maybe watch how the old Yarmouth School site is sold off as quickly and the developers get their plant through gates .. forget about Yarmouth Town Council and there too little too late attempt to make themselves look interested and supporters of the town ..,the town died years ago, and they know it .. RIP Yarmouth Town ..
Unknown where they think up these stupid ideas… The council do not give a hoot about the people living here, Westridge Farm, Westridge/Smallbrook, two amazing places, one a working farm, the other beautiful green grass, and acres of it. to be turned into concrete… why / because the council want to ruin the Island. Most useless council ever. I am hoping to move off hit sad Island sooner the better.. getting too rich for me, plus looks awful. Ryde interchange, wow look at all the cutbacks since it was first designed, and designed wrong. Council did not listen to the people that live here… oh no… looks really awful now… nice idea on paper, but not if driving… Council needs complete change… Younger people with thoughts for I