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 Ieuan Jehu, West Wight. Ed
As I walked over Headon Warren this weekend, looking east across a seemingly endless expanse of green fields and woodland, I have to say, I did not find myself overly concerned by the prospect of the share of undeveloped land on the Island decreasing by a couple of percentage points, from the 84% where it currently stands.
Reading some of the responses to the recommendations from Planning Inspectors, that the Island Planning Strategy should be amended to include the construction of an additional 394 homes over the next five years, I see that my priorities are not shared by everybody.
It’s not just about housing
People who do worry about the Island being “concreted over” and tourists being driven away should take some comfort in the knowledge that the Island Planning Strategy is about far more than just setting a target for the number of new homes which should be built here.
The document contains hundreds of pages on conserving and protecting local green spaces; trees, woodland and hedgerows and enhancing our ecological assets. There are subsections on the potential impacts of recreation activities on Solent Marine Sites, managing flood risk in new developments, and protecting high grade agricultural land.
Planning Inspectors made no recommendations that these sections should be scrapped. Nor did the sections on growth, the economy and supporting high quality tourism, raise any objections from the Planning Inspectors.
Sustainability?
The aim of the Island Planning Strategy is to achieve “sustainable development through economic, social and environmental roles”. I ask though, how sustainable is it to maintain a local economy when not enough homes are being built to meet demand?
How sustainable is it for only just over half of the population to be of working age and only 44% economically active?
How sustainable is it to have Council Taxpayers picking up an ever-larger share of the bill for maintaining local services and infrastructure, because our shrinking workforce deters large companies from doing business here?
How sustainable is it to stifle the educational and social development of hundreds of Island children living in insecure accommodation, where they sleep, eat and study in the same single room they share with the rest of their family?
Why increased housing is needed
The Island Planning Strategy does outline some policies which go some way to addressing these issues, but Planning Inspectors are right to point out that without increasing housing supply beyond the Council’s target, they will not achieve their objectives. And even with the additional homes, more will need to be done.
Look at the legacy of decades of underinvestment in the Island: too few doctors, dentists and other healthcare professionals to serve the local need; a staffing crisis in an underfunded adult social care sector; and poor educational attainment in our schools meaning, only 36% of Islanders have high level qualifications (compared to 48% nationally).
Housing for hospital workers
The new government has increased funding for the NHS and Island social care services, unlocking thousands of additional units of dental care on the Island, but the people we need to work in our hospital, care homes and GP/dental surgeries will not come from the local populace.
With Island housing stock already occupied by a growing percentage of people too old to work, we need to bring in workers from elsewhere. That will mean building new homes to accommodate these workers, their families and the people who do the other jobs which support both Islanders and the young professionals we need to attract.
Devolution offers a glimmer of optimism
For those who fear too much housebuilding, in the long term, devolution offers a glimmer of optimism. The creation of the Combined Authority will bring with it new funding for skills -ensuring Islanders are better equipped to meet the needs of local employers- and there is the potential for Councillors to negotiate Mayoral oversight of ferry services -opening up the Solent to commuting workers.
Securing that deal will, to some degree, depend on those Islanders voting in the by-elections in Lake North, Central Rural and Freshwater South on Thursday, electing Councillors who are ready to embrace the opportunities devolution present.
