Freshwater Parish Council is concerned that the next edition of the Island Plan, due to go before the Isle of Wight Council for scrutiny in the next few days, does not reflect the representations it has made or the views of residents.
Local people have expressed a clear majority in favour of the view that the settlement boundary should not be expanded to allow development of further greenfield sites on the fringes of the village.
252 new houses in Freshwater
The draft Island Planning Strategy document released on 4th April proposed 252 new houses in Freshwater over the fifteen year lifetime of this plan, the largest allocation for any village on the Island.
Based on previous experience, the delivery of genuinely affordable housing in these new housing estates proposed would be expected to be minimal.
James: IWC should be rebalancing employment policy
Chairman of Freshwater Parish Council, Daniel James, commented,
“We simply don’t have the employment opportunities in the West Wight to support hundreds of new houses being built on local agricultural land. If the Isle of Wight Council is serious about sustainable transport, it should be rebalancing employment policy to ensure that people can work in their local communities rather than commuting.
“We all know that Newport’s road system can’t carry more vehicle traffic, and further centralising the economy in the county town is only going to make that problem worse. The Island’s villages should be thriving communities in their own right, not just dormitory suburbs built to meet some arbitrary development target.”
At odds with IWC policies
Freshwater parish councillors have also asked why the latest draft of the Island Plan is at odds with recently adopted Isle of Wight council policies, including the ambition for net zero carbon emissions across the Island by 2030, and preservation of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status.
Not enough time to review the 195 page draft document
Island residents have just a few days to make their feelings known about the draft Island Plan to their ward councillors before it goes to the Planning Inspectorate for examination and potential approval.
Parish councillors in Freshwater believe that this is simply not enough time to review the 195 page draft document in full.
Larger towns in desperate need of regeneration
Sites in the Island’s larger towns in desperate need of regeneration are less likely to attract investment while more rural greenfield sites are permitted for building on, parish councillors believe.
Where housing is required in the smaller villages, it should be focused on meeting the needs of people who are not currently served by the housing market, including young families and older people that need extra care at home.
Urban sprawl beyond village boundaries
Freshwater’s parish councillors have stated that a continuation of previous planning mistakes would allow urban sprawl beyond village boundaries, nullifying the protections put in place for agricultural land that could be producing local food, and environmentally important sites.
News shared by Daniel James on behalf of Freshwater Parish Council. Ed
