Ventnor resident, Jill Lee, is calling for support from Islanders after the Isle of Wight planning department refused retrospective permission for the hilltop cabin she has had built at the top of her back garden.
Jill told News OnTheWight that she has spent many thousands of pounds, as well as carrying out hours of research, designing and building the eco-friendly cabin that is tucked away at the top of her terraced garden in Spring Hill, Ventnor.
Blends in well with the environment
Anyone who knows Ventnor gardens will know that they are generally steep and therefore terraced.
If you have spotted Jill’s cabin from the road – which is quite hard because in our view, it blends very well to the surrounding area – you’ll have noticed that the previous shed (see below) that sat up the hill in the back garden of the property has now gone and been replaced by this new cabin, surrounded by beautiful wild flowers and lots of new trees.
Planning agent and structural engineer
When Jill decided to tidy up the messy back garden of her new home, she appointed a structural engineer to ensure everything was done as it should be.
Local workmen (30 employed in total to work on the cabin and home) set about removing asbestos, weeds and a heap of rubbish that had been chucked down from the cliff over years, taking 30 tons of soil in buckets through the house one way and 30 tons of groundworks and anchors plus 25 foot steels to stabilise the cliff the other.
Enhancing the environment
Jill says that she has spent thousands of pounds planting wild flowers, putting up bird boxes, bee boxes, bat boxes and a green living roof.
She’s planted 20 new trees (from the Forestry Commission) and over 150 new coastal plant specimens, wild flowers and sedums that have added biodiversity. The trees include evergreens, Hazel, Alder, Crab Apple, Bush Bay and Osmanthus as well as establishing Photina and Wysteria, Ceanothus and Honeysuckle, a strawberry tree, bird feeders and winter flowering Jasmin.
IWC: A detrimental impact on visual amenity
The Isle of Wight council planning department have refused retrospective permission after the Conservation officer said the cabin has “a detrimental impact on visual amenity, failing to preserve or enhance the character, context and appearance of area Conservation Area”.
Appealing the decision will cost Jill at least £2,000, not to mention the thousands already spent.
Jill says,
“There are two other raised structures in my road, which is a complete mixture of architecture, from clad wooden chalets, to 1970s bungalows, and a large PVC double height conservatory.
“There are 40 examples of other cabins and raised structures within a one mile proximity of the suburban residential area I live in, including an entire woodland of established trees removed on Grove Road.”
Illegal structure reported by neighbour
Jill says that she had researched online before embarking on the project to check that she was working within the rules. She found that permission for the size of cabin she was building was only needed if at the side of a property, or in a front garden.
The need for retrospective planning permission came about when a neighbour (who has since moved to another part of the Island) reported the cabin as an illegal structure to the Isle of Wight council.
Moved here for a quieter life
Jill told News OnTheWight that she moved to the Island from Hampshire to pursue The Arts (she has an Arts degree and is a qualified art teacher) and enjoy a peaceful life to balance her hectic business life – she runs and own two National Advertising companies that sell advertising space at both Isle of Wight Festival and Cowes Week on the big digital screens.
Jill went on to say,
“I have been amazed at all the local support I’ve now received to help me keep the cabin, which Isle of Wight council tell me is incongruous, despite four-storey new build flats going into the area.
“Their attitude will drive people like me away from the Island and it’ll end up with empty holiday homes like in Cornwall if they aren’t careful. Some people tell me the cabin could be the answer to the affordable housing crisis for local people.”
Jill has received 170+ supportive comments from people responding to one post on social media, so hopes to raise more awareness of her fight to have the decision reversed.
She asks anyone who wants to support her to call on 07429 442093 and she’ll be happy to explain further.
