A scheme to build 473 much-needed new homes in Ryde could begin within just a matter of weeks, Island Echo can reveal.
The news comes after final approval for West Acre Park was given by the Council’s planning committee last night (Tuesday), securing £100million of investment, protecting 80 local jobs and paving the way for more than 400 new homes, of which 166 will be affordable.
It took the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee more than 3-and-a-half hours to determine the future of West Acre Park, a scheme put forward by Bembridge-based Captiva Homes.
The main issues committee members were debating related to the potential loss of protected curlew habitat. It was a problem raised by Natural England after the committee had approved the application, in July 2021, but before official planning permission had been granted. It had held the application in limbo since June last year.
Officers can now continue ironing out all the legal details, which will enable the ground to be broken and building to commence.
It has been confirmed to Island Echo that work on the new development will being within just a matter of weeks, after planning consent has been issued.
A spokesperson for Captiva Homes has said:
“We are very pleased that the committee has approved the next phase of West Acre Park.
“When we began planning this development, it was with the goal of setting a new benchmark for housing on our Island. This decision enables us to achieve that goal, securing £100m of investment, protecting 80 local jobs and allowing us to deliver 473 desperately-needed homes – including 166 affordable homes.
“As Islanders ourselves, we recognise and embrace the responsibility that comes with our role. We are proud of our track record of delivering 100% of our planning applications and are now looking forward to playing a significant part in providing great value, high-quality homes to be enjoyed by Islanders now and for generations to come.”
I was thinking when it comes to issues like this housing development, we could have a democratic vote among residents of the town or area for whether they are approved, for we all will see the impacts through loss of green space, overcrowding on roads, lack of dentists, gps, due to overpopulation, and the developers not building any infrastructure (because it cuts into their profits) and it has become clear that many in authority no longer try to act in our best interest (although there may be ‘factors’ affecting their judgment), would be interesting to see what people on the island really think, and perhaps it would incentivise developers to come up with what is best for the community rather than their profits and shareholders.
Except that everyone who already has a home will vote against – I’m alright Jack!
Why? People who already have a home may want to move to a larger affordable home. We’re not all naysayers.
However unless you can find employment, doctors, dentists, school places etc for all the new people who will move here what’s the point of keep building?
What a load of nonsense. Island knuckle draggers are too dumb to make such decisions. They voted in the current bunch after all so deserve what they get.
You are obviously not who you say you are in your name ID.
Maybe you should learn to read.
That’s another +/- 800 cars on our already clogged roads, working on 2 per family
Most familes have 4 vehicles plus.
It’s about time Council Tax was based on the number of vehicles an Household owns.
I already have a house, we can’t build any more!
Do we need all these houses ? Don’t Captiva want to build hundreds of houses in Bembridge also ? I think they are an Island firm also ? I really despair, every journey you make lately you get stuck in traffic or hit traffic lights, it’s absolutely unsustainable??? It’s all about money & greedy greedy developers that somehow make out they are doing us a favour ? Their wallets maybe.
473 much needed new homes ? Where did they get that from? If you said 473 rental properties maybe – but there are no new schools, dentists , gps etc that ARE much needed! But as we all know no big profits in them .
No big profits until the Tory government succeeds in driving NHS into the ground and the Yanks move in. Watch those profits roll then! I wonder how many Tory ministers have shares in potential bidders?
The only thing “much needed” is control over the insane and unsustainable population growth blighting towns and cities throughout the UK and europe.
473 much needed new homes ? I’d agree if they were building starter homes for young families but as most of them will be out of the price range for anyone starting out in life then all it will do is give the developers a much needed boost in profits/pension
Utter environmental vandalism!
Island Echo states a scheme to build 473 much-needed new homes in Ryde for who?
Captiva states 473 desperately-needed homes – (for who) including 166 affordable homes (yes at what price or rentable?
At the Tory government’s ludicrous definition of “affordable” ie affordable by a Tory minister.
It really is time for this inept council to go. We need an uprising against them, but of course it will never happen with an apathetic island population who will just moan but do nothing…
it costs just as much to build a affordable home as the other homes so are the other ones subsidising the affordable ones or nobody can afford the others are they rental or buy to let, or what a surprise to expensive and revert to much needed by who houses owt for nowt
When Margaret thatcher introduced the poll tax the whole country rose up and they had to abolish it . Nowadays like you say people moan but that’s where it ends . If we all rose up again in numbers it could be done but like you say people don’t want to get involved. So just keep moaning…..
…nor as long as there is no better alternative on offer.
That’s the green light for the judicial review…. This is where the bent councillors on planning get smoked out of their holes and penalised in court. Don’t think your untouchable big boys. It’s the people’s turn for justice now!
Yes, lets hope it’s the green light, but the IW Council have yet to sign it off before a judicial review can be instigated. Captiva seem in a desperate hurry to get the destruction started, just wondering why? I’ve heard, although I don’t know if it’s true, that the Esplanade doctors surgery will be occupying the surgery Captiva is supposed to be building….
The brown envelopes must have arrived.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
Bring it on!! Start blasting that concrete in the soil!
Nice. Looking forward to a brown envelope or two coming my way off of the back of this. It’ll help pay for a slap up meal at the club when Govey comes down.
Whitehall set the targets as they need to force councils to build to accommodate the 1 -1.5 million odd people they are importing every year – developers are just taking advantage of this golden ticket that the bureaucrats are handing them. These homes are much needed, but not for indigenous folk, they are needed to home people from far away(who will never be net contributors to everything the taxpayer is forced to give them) or to house people who these imports displace in other areas of the country
Spot on Roland. So sad that the UK people are so unable to ‘see’ the reason WHY.
So pleased you can, gives a glimmer of hope in these dark days.
473 home’s – 166 affordable home’s !!!!!! =307 home’s not necessary!!!!!!
Fat cat profits all round for captiva!!!!!
Council laughing all the way, extra council tax to line their pension pot’s with and continue to make cuts !!!!!
New Dr’s surgery etc , have they already organised this ????
No good having all the facilities if no one working there !¡!.
Have they also found more jobs for everyone,????
Seems to my they have all the gear’s and no idea !!!!!
What is the purpose of local councils?
Local councils work towards improving community well-being and providing better services. Their activities fall into three main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve quality of life and community well-being.
I think its safe to say ours has failed on all counts.