The Isle of Wight Planning Committee will consider a revised planning application for 56 new homes on a greenfield site in Bembridge next week, but locals are still strongly against the plans.
The application, which was initially submitted in December 2021 by Thornwood Estate IW Ltd, sparked considerable public opposition despite the site being identified as a possible site for development in the draft Island Planning Strategy. Literally hundreds of objections have been raised with the Isle of Wight Council – considerably higher than any other Isle of Wight development.
Councillors, including local Member for Bembridge, Joe Robertson, rejected the application in October 2022.
Now, revised plans are being considered by the planning committee with a decision set to be made next Tuesday (13th June).
Local residents say that the development will cause damage to the environment and put a strain on already overloaded infrastructure. It’s claimed that the sewage system in Bembridge is already overloaded and frequently discharges untreated sewage into the Solent from an overflow pipe on the beach by the lifeboat station.
Residents’ campaign group Build a Better Bembridge has submitted an expert report to the Council which they say shows that the development will result in additional untreated sewage discharges with no plans to offset increased nutrients. This is contrary to the Council’s own policies on environment, seascape and biodiversity and undermines our Biosphere status.
Ben Wood of Build a Better Bembridge has said:
“This is not NIMBYism. Bembridge is not against development. The need for appropriate development is well recognised in the Bembridge Neighbourhood Development Plan and is supported where it is appropriate, small scale and it must be genuinely affordable for Islanders on Island wages. Just yards from the proposed development, 11 affordable units are being built on an old hotel site, 4 semi-detached houses have just been completed on infill sites and the old Bembridge middle school site on the same road was recently redeveloped to provide affordable housing. This is the sort of housing that is needed”.
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Councillor Joe Robertson adds:
“Bembridge was the subject of a statutory flood investigation published last year because of major flooding causing damage to homes. Steyne Road was one of the worst affected. Now there is a proposal to add 56 extra homes on the road, in addition to those already under construction, by building on the only remaining field fronting onto it.
“If people are to believe the Council is remotely serious about causes of flooding and damage to people’s homes they must turn this application down and finally address the problems we already have.”
The application has been recommended for approval by planning officers.
Of cause we aren’t NIMBYs, we just think it should be built else where, over in England preferably.
The village idiot has spoken!!!
We don’t need more detached houses for mainlanders! We need affordable flats for locals!
There is currently 476 flats for sale on Rightmove for £150,000 or under.
How “affordable” do you want them?
Or is it that to get a mortgage for one of these hundreds of available flats you would be expected to pay for it yourself and not be 100% funded by others….
Doesn’t matter if it’s Bembridge or anywhere else on the Island, with a falling birthrate we don’t need all these new houses being built.
Who are they being built for? Certainly not Islanders.
What about the 2,000 Islanders on the waiting list to be rehoused from temporary accommodation? Or do they not count Catherine?
Looks like NIMBYism to me!
that 2000 aren’t islanders – they are from the mainland and some will be illegal dinghy filth
2000 “Islanders” on the waiting list to be rehoused from temporary accomodation! That may be the case but do you know where are they all from Joris?
I live and work in Guildford and I’m going to buy a holiday home in bembridge. And I will spend hard work cash on pub food. And pay my council tax x2. Not like half the people on that island. So you need to thank folks like us.
Totally agree with your sentiments and please don’t listen to the whinging benefit spouters. It is actually a very nice place to have a holiday home and I would bet that every pub, restaurant, shop etc will be very welcome of your patronage,
no the islanders do not want a house empty for 48 weeks of the year owned by a 2nd homeowner..they may consider telling squatters it is empty.
Speak for yourself. I’m an overner of 50 years residency on the island and I would much rather see a house empty and looked after than a benefit hutch filled with dross and snotty kids grubbing from those that have worked hard to provide for themselves.
Overners keep the island businesses afloat
As a LOT of ‘influential’ people live there, then this will be scaled back.
But NOT for the right reasons. for if it were in other areas with the same issues it would likely be ‘revised’ upwards in the number of housing and much being ‘social’ housing too.
A lot of odd handshakes and developers happy to destroy areas they do not live in, merely drive through at a pace in a luxury electric car.
Bears don’t ….in their own woods.
More Homes are not needed in Bembridge, what does need sorting out is the
Stench coming from the Harbour, it is foul.
Hence I live in Seaview.
Ok now I will look at buying in seaview
Another suburban plot adding no amenities to the neighbourhood and paving over field that’s great at water retention now that we’re heading into yet another drought season… and people are surprised folks don’t like it?
Greenfield site!!! I wonder how many brown envelopes will pass over to all of the councillors?
As NO illegal or dingy arrival has yet bought the land, and the materials to build their own home, nor have any arrived with the wherewithal to fund the cost of such, then of course there will be more building on the Island.
Whilst as yet few have ‘arrived’ here, the fact is, many indigenous people have come to ‘escape’ from areas they themselves no longer recognise nor feel ‘at home’ with any longer, and many come to places like the Island to settle and end their later years.
So indirectly, this mass swell in new bodies into the UK ‘is’ effecting the Isle of Wight in a negative way by forcing more and more homes to be built here.
SEE the problem and see what needs to be done, and all without causing harm to us for once.
the parasitic dinghy people need sending back out to sea on the raft they showed up on and left there, then the sponging benefit claimants that moved here need to be evicted and sent to portsmouth to find their way back to where they came from – that will solve most of the housing issues.