News OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.
This from Joe Robertson, Councillor for Bembridge and Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Isle of Wight East. Ed
I refer to Monday’s article (30th October) from four Green Party councillors in which they challenge plans to build in areas at risk to flooding.
They refer to the problems caused by urbanising green fields into housing developments which will make flood events increasingly commonplace.
Why then, did the two Green Party Isle of Wight Councillors vote in favour of the draft Island Planning Strategy which included the Westridge Farm (West Acre) site for building up stream of Ryde Monktonmead, and an allocation for 180 homes on green fields off Steyne Road Bembridge which is prone to flooding?
Flood Investigations
Two previous section 19 Flood Investigations (which the Green councillors are calling for more of) have already identified flood problems with Styene Road and Monktonmead and were published just a few months before the councillors voted to include these fields in the Council’s development plan on 5th October 2022?
Pointless?
Raising concerns about urbanising green spaces now, and calling for further Flood Investigations, is entirely pointless (indeed disingenuous) if their own Green Party councillors are going to ignore those issues and vote to build on our precious greenfield land connected with flood areas.
