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 open letter from Cllr Ian Stephens, Cabinet member for housing, is in direct response to the open letter from Cllr Joe Robertson, published here on Monday. Ed
Thank you for your open letter. I was rather saddened that you did not use the Isle of Wight Council facilities and framework to verify the current position of the Camphill site with me.
IWC Cabinet meetings also give the opportunity, through members’ question time to air a topic in public.
Focusing on the more readily achievable development sites
I will state that due to the scant resources within County Hall, which are the result of staffing cutbacks from previous administrations who were endeavouring to adhere to central government austerity measures, the Alliance administration is focusing on the more readily achievable development sites and solutions to homelessness on the Island.
Housing a top priority
Housing through the local authority has not been adequately addressed by recent administrations, and now the Alliance administration has made it one of the top priorities.
Camphill is a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) site who still have ownership and responsibility for the site.
Not viable to bring forward
The prison was closed in 2013, and at that time the Isle of Wight Council made an initial enquiry via Homes England (HE).
The MoJ, working with Homes England, endeavoured to bring forward the site as a viable development site, and the figures did not show that it was viable at that time.
MoJ review of all sites
The MoJ is at present undergoing a review of all estates within their ownership, and there is no date given for the completion…therefore it is open-ended at this time.
Camphill remains a SHLAA site and is included within the Island Planning Strategy (IPS) and the IWC Director of Regeneration will continue to monitor the situation, and that of other potential development sites.
Concentrating on sites where results can be more readily achieved
Successive administrations have spent time and resource in trying to ‘bring Camphill forward’.
All have failed, and the Alliance recognising the plight of Island homelessness and the lack of truly affordable housing is concentrating efforts on land, sites, and buildings where results can be hopefully more readily achieved.
Looking towards fast-track methodology
I am very disappointed to have inherited a somewhat slow system to move sites forward, however the Alliance will be researching the possibilities of a possible fast-track methodology.
As you are probably aware we have recently become a Registered Provider (RP) and this will allow the IWC to bid for grant funding from HE.
£1m Brownfield Land Release Fund
We have been successful in our Brownfield Land Release Fund (BRLF) grant funding bid which equates to just under £1m, and we will be utilising that money to bring forward three IWC owned sites, which also compliments the effort which recently resulted in our successful Rough Sleepers bid.
Thank you for your interest.
