Plans for the West Acre Park development in Ryde remain firmly on the table, with the project moving into a new phase following a recent Court of Appeal ruling.
Although planning permission granted in August 2023 has been formally quashed, the application itself remains active and is now once again under consideration by the Isle of Wight Council.
The Court of Appeal upheld a single point of appeal last month, finding that the council acted unlawfully by failing to publish a draft Section 106 legal agreement ahead of the original decision. Importantly, the court dismissed 3 other grounds of appeal, including allegations of bias and procedural issues.
The outcome means the application is now heading back to the council’s Planning Committee for a fresh determination. A revised draft of the Section 106 agreement is due to be published shortly, and members of the public will be invited to submit comments as part of the process.
Council officers have confirmed the application remains valid and does not require resubmission. The planning portal now lists the application as under consideration, with work underway to bring it back to committee at the earliest opportunity.
The developer, Captiva Homes, is currently reviewing the original submission to ensure it continues to align with current planning policy. Any new or updated information, or proposed amendments, will be published online for public viewing and feedback.
Once complete, the application will return to the Planning Committee in the form of an update paper. This will include the original reports, an officer recommendation, and any material updates. Councillors may opt to revisit the full application or focus solely on changes since the previous decision.
In reality, it would be hard for councillors to come to any different conclusion than to approve the application as it has already been approved twice previously.
The West Acre Park site remains a proposed allocation in the council’s draft Island Planning Strategy. Planning inspectors have acknowledged the court’s decision but have not sought to remove the site from the draft plan.
No specific date has yet been set for the committee hearing, but the council says the matter will return as soon as it is ready.
There are so many empty abandoned properties on
the island that could be used to build new properties.
The Old Harcourt Sands Holiday site, Puckpool.
The old ice rink Ryde
The Old Royal York Hotel, Ryde
Many large hotels in Sandown are available
The Old Spar car park Shanklin
The old Esplanade hotel, Shanklin
plus many more.