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 Letter from a reader known to News OnTheWight who wishes to remain anonymous. Ed
There are many issues on the Island that need addressing, all of which only government funding can help with.
To start with, planning. There is a quota set by government that has to be maintained, in my view, at the cost and sacrifice to greenbelt and agricultural land etc.
Use Camp Hill for housing
What has happened to the Camp Hill prison site, closed years ago? The Isle of Wight council don’t class it as a priority?
Can this not be used for housing? I, along with many others, have written to Mr Seely about it.
There seems to be a lack of understanding.
Becoming more and more urbanised
We are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Island is becoming more and more urbanised.
There is a housing crisis on the Island, but there is little being done by government, our MP and our council to help.
Profiting from Airbnb rentals
I know of a wealthy cash buyer, who has just bought 12 houses to let out as Airbnb, for profit.
This is a huge issue and feel that action needs to be taken, by restricting the number of Airbnbs and/or raising the council tax for them.
A lack of long term rentals
There’s now a lack of long term rentals due to this, as it’s profitable to be charging from £40 a night for a hammock tied to trees, or a house with swimming pool for £1,500 a night.
Many homes are empty as second homes, or holiday homes, left empty all year, while people are homeless. There seems to be a lack of community when houses are left empty or when rented out for a few nights at a time.
Wages not matching living costs
Shops are also closing down leaving our towns looking desolate. Cost of housing, a necessity, seems to be constantly increasing in every sector.
Our children are moving to the mainland because their wages don’t match what they need to maintain a mortgage or private rent, plus utilities, petrol, gas and electric and food on top.
Family losing carers
They are bottom on the housing list, even having been born here. They would be able to help us in our older age with care, but that is now not possible.
We have always worked hard and paid our taxes. Our home will now be sold to pay for our care, leaving no inheritance for our children. I don’t see the point of working, there is no incentive.
Council tax increases, but services are reduced. Government taxes increase, but nothing is shown for it. You pay to have a home or savings that is then taken away. This all comes back full circle to housing.
Taxes
There’s even inheritance tax. Tax on wages, tax on food, tax on clothing, tax for care, tax to die, while House of Commons are having parties and wasting our money which pays for them.
£37 billion was the total budget for the NHS Test and Trace App in the first two years.
Can I ask what is actually being done for Islanders? The housing built is promised to be affordable. It may well be for the rich, those who have wealthy parents, the elite, those who are fortunate, but it isn’t for the majority.
We’re paying Seely’s rent
Bob Seely is one of the fortunate coming from wealth. He is paid £82,000 a year, expenses paid costing £200,000 one year, his rent is costing us all £1,200 pcm. I think this is rather hypocritical.
A single man that I believe doesn’t live on the Island, only some weekends. What a waste.
‘Housing benefit’ doesn’t match rent costs
Which leads me onto another issue. Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit) doesn’t match rent costs and hasn’t for years, but there are discretionary housing payments, but I think you have to apply every six months, needing a good reason and lucky if you get this top up and the council expect you to find cheaper accommodation when there isn’t any.
A single man entitled to housing benefit would get for a shared room on the Island, £310.68 or 1-bedroom at £449.49. A 2-bedroom house would be £575.01, a 3-bedroom £725.00 and a 4-bedroom £894.99.
Families being advised to move to mainland
Please take a minute and look on Islandhomefinder and see for yourselves if the prices match. Many people are homeless and there’s no emergency accommodation left at times. Council are housing people in hostels, BnB and caravans.
I understand they’re advising families to move to the mainland away from their support, as there is nothing here for them, while more people move to the Island because they can afford to.
Affordable for who?
There are many promises that new housing estates and developments will be “affordable” and for “local people”, who can’t afford deposits to buy or get a mortgage, pricing out working local families.
It seems pointless they are built, who are they being built for? Developers profiting! This housing then goes to people who are wealthy, second home owners, mainlanders etc. Some builds state over 55s and over for two or three-bedroom homes, when it’s mainly families that need to be housed.
Over 3,000 on Islandhomefinder
Over 3,000 people are on Islandhomefinder which never seems to go down. People have been on the waiting list to be housed, some for 20 years plus, as they need support in a certain local area. S
ingle people are penalised as they don’t have two incomes and don’t stand a chance to qualify for a mortgage.
Spiraling debt
The increase in the cost of living and interest on mortgages means people are struggling to pay, getting into debt and ultimately losing their homes, adding to the problems and homelessness numbers.
House prices both to buy or to rent need to come down and wages need to be increased. There isn’t enough done to help first time buyers, even with saving schemes set up and some aren’t lucky enough to have rich parents to help them.
‘Local connection’ needs MP’s support
My understanding is that Bob Seely refuses to support ‘local connection’ for small villages and certain areas and his view is that it’s not needed.
Swapping Island housing association homes with mainlanders needs to have a limit set or perhaps completely stopped and the people they swap with need to have at least a link to the Island.
Mainlanders without connection shouldn’t be able to jump over people on Islandhomefinder with strong connection who have waited years and have family here. This is just adding to the issue.
Tax the wealthy
Instead of taxing the poor, tax the rich who can afford it, the second homes, the Air BnBs etc. big businesses barely paying tax, chase the businesses owing tax, of which, I suspect, there are many.
Support landlords who do rent out on a long-term basis, guarantee rent payments and pay straight to the landlord so they know they will be paid, helping working families and single people also towards their rent if needed.
The cost of living crisis I can see getting worse. Upon writing to Mr Seely he stated that something is being done. A one-off loan or grant of £150 was enough at the time of contact. I’m sorry, but this says it all. Since stating that even the government has had the sense to try and contribute more to households.
MPs living in an all inclusive holiday
It is plainly obvious he is not struggling like the rest of us. It’s as if he’s living an all inclusive holiday. I’m sure the MPs will be asking for a pay rise soon due to cost of living, just wait and see.
Our hospital, St Mary’s is under pressure by financial strain and not having housing for NHS staff, not to mention dentists.
Transport costs
Bus prices for the Island and Ferry prices are ridiculous if you want to visit or see friends on the mainland, or have a day out.
There are vouchers you can use, but even then it’s still extortionate and you don’t have a choice but to pay it.
If you work for the NHS you are on a limited wage and it is hard for the staff to live here, or attract the staff to maintain the hospital due to this, plus the housing issues on top.
Seely needs to step up
Please can our MP step up and give our Island the future it needs and deserves. Put his constituents first.
Westminster politicians have known this was coming, but the majority are wealthy second home owners themselves.
Have some compassion
They need to have some compassion. Have some knowledge of our Island we much love and care for, the future for our children I can see is just struggle to pay back money that the corrupt government have wasted and made many mistakes, since Covid.
Image: eric ward under CC BY 2.0
