UPDATED: A controversial planning application to build 80 homes on land at Westridge Farm in Ryde is to go back before the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee tonight (Tuesday).
Although the scheme has been recommended for approval by officers, the planning committee rejected the application back in January of this year due to concerns about access.
Wendy Perera, the Isle of Wight Council’s senior planning officer ‘called-in’ the decision due to concerns that the reason for refusal was not sustainable. It was hoped that the application decision would be back before the committee at the end of February, but an argument over how many cattle were kept at the farm resulted in the decision being deferred until this month.
Additional highway, parking and ecology information has been submitted and tonight a decision will be taken.
UPDATE @ 21:20 – The planning application has been approved by the Isle of Wight Council.
The decision to approve the plans was close, with 5 votes to 4 with 1 abstention.
Councillors were told that a legal bill in the region of £250,000 could have arisen if the application was rejected and went to appeal.
Campaign group ‘Save Westridge Farm’ have described the news as ‘devastating’.
