Conditional approval has been recommended for a scheme to build 473 homes in Ryde, despite a petition, 570 objections and human rights concerns.
Set to be discussed at the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee next week, the development of Westridge Farm into West Acre Park has been partially determined by planning officers.
The major development would see Ryde’s last dairy farm turned into 473 houses, a cafe with public toilets, doctor’s surgery, office space and 10 hectares of natural greenspace.
National planning policies say 35% of the houses will need to be affordable in a mixture of 166x 1, 2 and 3-bed properties. The remaining 307, as proposed by applicants Westridge Village (IOW) (part of Captiva Homes), will be for private sale as 2, 3 and 4-bed properties.
Should the approval be granted, a section 106 agreement would provide allotments, 3 public rights of way, improvements to highways, including at Westridge Cross and the junction between Smallbrook Lane and Great Preston Road, as well as nearly £1.7million towards a children’s services or education facility.
The plans have been met with 570 objections, including from local councillors and the Island’s MP Bob Seely, and more than 4,700 people signing a petition to save the farm. Main points of concern included the inadequate infrastructure of Ryde and the Island, the impact on highways and the traffic generation and overdevelopment of the site.
Ryde Town Council completed its own consultation and found although new housing was required, it should be affordable and for residents. However, there was a strong feeling that the proposed site was not suitable.
Numerous commenters have said the scheme should be built on brownfield land and the farmland protected but in the Isle of Wight Council officers’ report, it was determined the development would be appropriate and sustainable for the land.
Officers said the land quality was good to moderate but only 8.875 hectares of the best and most versatile agricultural land would be lost, which was not ‘unacceptable’.
It had also been suggested that building on the land would breach the Hollidays’ human rights and the right to respect for private and family life but officers said although it was an emotive issue, having balanced the benefits of the development and the under-provision of housing on the Island, the principle of housing was acceptable.
Another issue was whether the houses would be available to Islanders, and while officers said the private dwellings could not be gated, the 166 affordable units would be available firstly to those in Ryde, then neighbouring parishes, as well as being made available on the Island’s Homefinder website.
The council’s planning committee will meet next Tuesday (27th July) to determine the application.
No mention of the fall out from Trucast.
perhaps we find the isle of wight council officers who are agreeing to this and discuss it personally with them in the street during their leisure time or even outside their own homes -which will no doubt be in nice, quiet areas.
these arrogant individuals need to understand – this is a democracy – we, have objected to this – adhere to the objections or there could be consequences from those, who do not like being ignored.
what a bloody joke more traffic no new jobs there are over 300 empty homes rotting on this island its a money making scheme for cheap rabbit hutches so much for the new council reducing unnecessary house building this is for second home owners why did we bother voting
Why has nobody on this island or the council got the guts to stand up to the likes or Mr Ball and Mr Pink. This really goes to show just how much money talks. These people are nothing but money grabbing vultures. Not for one second have they thought if the impact this will have on the island in the long term. The island struggles to cope now with demands and this will only make it worse.
It’s so frustrating that freedom of speech is no longer, unless you have pots of money.
This won’t get posted even though I’m trying to Express my concerns in a polite way.
pink and ball are the sort of developers that revel in the destruction of greenland habitats – if they didn’t, then they wouldn’t submit applications for environmental devastation.
and where are the green party in all of this, as well as Bacon – somewhat silent aren’t they – the greens should be protesting about any developments like this.
these houses that pink and co build are advertised as far away as sheffield – they are not building for islanders – they are hell bent on wrecking the environment, over populating and concreting the island over for their own financial gain -nothing more.
Agreed. What I want to know is what can we do to stop it? We are supposed to be a democracy. And yet in a case where the majority are right about something, not always so, but in this case, we get ignored. I’ve been to planning meetings where just a very quick cursory mention was made of loss of hedgerows and habitats etc and pushed aside as though of no consequence and the application passed immediately without even any discussion.
conditional approval to destroy the habitats of many creatures including birds, as well as conditional approval to destroy the greenfields, the trees and their ability to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Conditional approval to ensure that those houses at the lower end of the development will be flooded as the fields will no longer be there, soaking up the rain water – have you ever walked across that area after heavy rains – the whole place is like a bog.
conditional approval to increase the amount of CO2 in the air, approval to create more sewage, more tonnage for the landfil and laugh in the faces of those trying to protect the environment
Appley used to be such a nice place to live. Now it’s so noisy and busy. I’m defo out of here now, it will become unbearable.
What about all the empty offices, factories etc and houses that are left to rot..
surely they can be renovated first?!!
UNBELIEVABLE….. So many objections and a family evicted from their farm. As for a Doctor’s Surgery, probably won’t get enough applicants to staff the place. With this development and the other 904 rabbit hutches on the P feather site, Ryde is going to become gridlocked. Tesco takings will significantly increase!!!!
Everyone opposing this should turn up this Friday at the site when the planning committee do their walkabout and final decision making.
STOP THIS HAPPENING AND PROTECT THE FARM AND THE GREEN FIELDS.
STOP THE RICH GETTING RICHER.
get a bit of direct action going – up close
New council have dismissed public concerns over various issues. New names, no different to last lot. Although items they have passed, show we’re in for ever higher council tax.
This does not surprise me.
When was the last time a housing development was turned down by this council?
They ONLY limit small scale builders applications, for they can’t send a ‘big enough’ thank you card as can the Pinks and ilk.
M asons have more sway than many realise here.
I don’t know how anyone could doubt it. One of the first things I read years ago, just picking up Stephen Knight’s book in a local bookshop, there was a section in it on the Isle of Wight, it was mentioned specifically as one of ‘those’ areas,
What planet do the developers and planners live on ?
They must get real and face up to the fact that this development and the Pennyfeathers development are not actually needed , once green space is lost it will never be recovered, and this is a disaster for the future of the Island.
Unless I am missing something I do not see hundreds of homeless families on the Island.
The target buyers are not local and it is an insult that the Planners and developers expect us to believe the hype.
This is all about PROFIT , end of.
Repurpose all the empty buildings in our sad looking towns and revive those before destroying green spaces. STOP THIS
Classic example of anonymous council officers making decisions and passing applications that the electorate don’t agree with. This absolutely stinks of corruption. It’s money talking and money grabbing at its worst. Try and placate the locals with talks of doctors surgery’s ( let’s hear what doctors are going to run it), nice council houses, lots of trees. You only have to remember the Tesco site, when built, promises of a lovely swimming pool and leisure centre, yes it got built, but how long did it last. The only ,”Balls” this council have are the ones that pull all the strings to make their puppets dance.
The developers care nothing, They KNOW all the objections pre application and know how to get around them all.
They will live with private health care, private education for their children and will have several homes around the world so care nothing for ‘lack of doctors, lack of schools, and overcrowding and rise in crime.
See these people for what they are.
Well, they would, wouldn’t they? I read this morning that Councillors in Reading have rejecteds a 257-home development on an old golf course for fairly similar reasons as put forward by over 500 objectors to this proposed estate at Westridge. Let’s hope our Councillors are as sensible.
It is evident that money rules
Not just on the Island, but worldwide
The disparity between the rich and the rest is widening.
This leads to a lack of fairness and potential for corruption.
Impartiality is also a myth
Transparency in the corridors of power is a myth
I am not a left wing loony nor down on my heels. But I do resent misuse of wealth and power.
Those who make money through hard work have a responsibility to use the power it brings for the greater good.
Bill Gates may not be perfect but he uses his wealth for the greater good and he is a rare breed.
I hope our newly elected council will act impartially on this
Sadly this council is not alone in being forced into approving large scale development to meet central government targets which are set (although all political parties try to pretend otherwise) to accommodate the 300,000 people net each year they have been importing every year since 1997 – these new houses may not go directly to newcomers, but they will certainly be taken by people displaced by newcomers – you need to build at least 100,000 new properties each year in the uk just to satisfy the deliberate population increase being sanctioned by Westminster and Whitehall before you start talking about locals
If you divide the Population of the Island by the UK population and multiply the 100,000 properties needed in he UK annually , the I stand share is 247 houses. This target ia probably already met for this year anyway.
Most of us would accept that figure , shared between small builders who do the actual physical graft – they deserve the profit, not the Armchair developers.
The houses would be far more widely spread with less local impact.
Where are the GREEN PARTY on this.
these guys don’t care about the ecology, environment, whether there’s a ‘need’ for the houses, etc.
they are in it for the money and you are irrelevant. that is how it works.
any assurances you receive from the developers or the council will be hollow promises, which you cannot insist are realised. you have no standing. this is being done to your area and decisions have already been made.