An Isle of Wight housing developer has said that Bembridge must share some responsibility for Island housing.
The news follows a march that took place last weekend through Steyne Park, where slogans such as “No more building” and “Save our village” were chanted. The protest was against a development for 130 new homes that goes before the council’s Planning Committee next week (Tuesday 30th).
Site designated for housing
The Middleton site, situated at the junction of Mill Road and High Street, was designated for housing development by the Conservative-led Isle of Wight council in 2018.
Captiva Homes say that Bembridge, the Island’s largest village, scores highest in the rural sustainability matrix, but has seen the least amount of growth compared to other rural service centres on the Island. They add that this disparity raises important questions about the local approach to development and could go some way to explain why PO35, the Bembridge postcode, is now the most expensive on the Isle of Wight.
Captiva: “Commitment to affordable housing”
A spokesperson for Captiva Homes said,
“We understand the concerns raised by some groups of Bembridge residents during the recent protests and are dedicated to addressing them.
“Our commitment to affordable housing is evident. Over the past five years, we’ve been responsible for 20% of all affordable homes on the Island, despite constructing only 10% of new homes here and we recently unveiled a significant investment in a 100% affordable housing project in Newport.
“Our ‘Middleton’ project maintains that commitment, it will feature eight variations of energy-efficient A-rated one to three-bedroom homes, available for rent and purchase. This wide variety of entry points means more opportunities for local young people and families on the Isle of Wight to call Bembridge home. Additionally, we are implementing a local lettings plan to ensure that affordable housing is prioritised for local people.”
Improved on-site water drainage system
Captiva went on to add,
“We are also addressing environmental concerns with an improved on-site water drainage system that prevents surface water entering the combined sewage system.
“Not only does this prevent any additional strain on the existing network, but it also helps increase the capacity of the wider system, as recognised in the recent Statutory Flood Investigation paper
“Some groups argue that development should be denied in affluent communities, but we believe this isn’t the best approach for the Island.”
