A majorly controversial housing development in Ryde may go back before the Isle of Wight Council again — 20 months after it was given the green light.
The 473-home West Acre Park was approved in July 2021 by the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee but an oversight was spotted in September last year.
Natural England said the application failed to consider some of the Westridge Farm site — the land houses could be built on — was designated in the Solent Waders and Brent Geese Strategy. It is a feeding ground for migration birds where curlews have been spotted.
Under the plans, Natural England says a portion of the designated land would be lost to development although the majority would remain as alternative green space.
The Isle of Wight Council said it was working with Natural England and developers Captiva Homes to resolve the issue and is waiting for further details on mitigation proposals.
This will allow the planning authority to undertake an assessment to understand whether there are ‘likely significant effects on designated sites’ and to ensure compliance with habitat regulations. Once the work has been completed, the council said it will move to issue a decision.
A Captiva spokesperson said they had been frustrated with the delays in issuing the planning consent. They now expect the council’s planning committee to hear the updates in March.
Subject to the consent being issued, Captiva plan to start work on the site in the Summer and deliver the housing in early 2024.
If the planning permission is issued, ward representative Councillor Michael Lilley said residents forming the Save Westridge Farm campaign are ready to launch a judicial review. He says there is a huge case of errors in the “whole planning process”.
Although the council have said the housing scheme can be built, official legal agreements have yet to be signed so development cannot start.
Councillor Lilley said it would be a long way before any resolution and any building starts and in the meantime, the curlews continue to feed on site.
The Holliday family, who were the tenant farmers of Westridge Farm, have now left, after campaigning to save their home and livelihood.
What part of – “the islands hospital, roads, dentists, doctors and other infrastructure cannot cope with more people”
do these idiots even consider this – no, all they are interested in doing, is wrecking the environment by building more concrete benefit hutches, for more mainland asylum seekers, benefit claimants and other dross to turn up here, placing greater demand on the already falling apart system.
the water and sewage system cannot cope as it is, with so much being pumped out into the sea, in periods of heavy rain – this would only increase with more houses.
more waste in landfill, more CO2 from more cars.
the island needs a population reduction to address the housing issues – not more houses.
say no to westacre.
Re: What part do they not understand?
I will tell you what they ‘DO’ understand.
The FACT that developers Captiva will not be queuing with the masses at an NHS dentist, doctors or hospital
They live in Bembridge which will avoid massive building programmes and their homes are well removed from the dross you so accurately assume will be filling many of these homes (once the more expensive homes are built and filled)
So they FULLY understand, but like our Council they DON’T CARE
When they have ruined the Island with over building, then they will up sticks and move to some other quiet area or country and will continue their wonderful life there.
what they do not take into consideration, its not just 450 + houses with poor infrastruture ,but an extra 1000-1500 people 750-1000 approximate extra cars and polution ,all this council is considering is extra income this would generate in Council tax .per year
Shouldn’t be built until the sewage system can cope with all the extra poo and rainwater run off. It will just be more poo going into the sea at Appley and Sandown.
“A Captiva spokesperson said they had been frustrated by the delays in issuing the planning consent”
My heart bleeds for them (not). Perhaps they would have prefered to have been driven out of their home and lively hood. Ball and Pink are the scum of the earth, and totally sick to the core, along with their pal Cllr. Brodie.
think it is so stupidly sad that those house by Westridge cross had been made to be vacant, for all these years. Either the occupants could have stayed longer, or the council could have used them for temporary accommodation what a complete shambles, now an awful eyesore.. Council does not think about tomorrow… or next week, or the people…
We don’t want it , we don’t need it …
Curlews Geese wildlife ahead of fat profits for Captiva!!!!!!
We want green space and natural flora and fauna,,,,, not rabbit hutches and concrete….
Affordable housing on brownfield for locals , not fat cat profits for the sake of ruining the island….
If this goes ahead it will be a travesty….
Oh and the family that left did have a good payout !!!! Just saying….
Sadly a certainty.
These people are ‘in’ with who matters.
The wildlife’s needs count for nothing with such people, but of course they ‘say’ the right things to get what they want.
Why not just concrete over the entire island and be done with it. There is enough empty property on the island to accommodate social housing IF ain’t was brought up to standard. The existing GPS can’t cope with more, nor can the dentist, the hospitals, the roads, the drains or the schools. This HAS to stop.
When did bloody ducks and worms become more important than homeless people?
There are 473 proposed. I don’t see 473 homeless families – where are they all? Not needed
Council wont like that, they need it to hoste the I.O.W pop festival ,and they will lose all the income
Figures reveal 2,466 people are on the council’s housing register — 1,185 people looking for 1-bed properties; 756 for 2-beds; 402 for 3-beds; 104 for 4-beds; and 19 for 5 and 6-bed properties. The council is also supporting 23 homeless singles and couples, and 42 homeless families in emergency accommodation.
Thank you Mr Reader, finally someone making sense. We can see a flat earth, not a globe. We can see people, not people sleeping on the street. We can see Doctors Surgeries, not queues outside.
Time to open your eyes people. This is WEF coming to destroy our island.
Why not build on Seaclose in Newport instead… Newport could do with more houses, Ryde is large enough..
A lovely little new houses bonus for each one turned out goes straight from the taxpayer into the council coffers and then all that additional council tax which, due to the extra emissions created by the massive amounts of concrete, steel, plastic and wood, not to mention the thousands of new people eating, drinking, possibly working and then daring to exhale , will have to be put directly into fighting ‘climate change’ and maybe painting a few more miles of double yellows in order to reduce the amount of the naturally occurring plant food being generated – it would be funny if it weren’t all so sinister