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 to Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, from Angela Hewitt. Ed
As an MP I see your job as quite different to that of a local Councillor.
You have the ability to change the law.
You postulate quite a lot about Island housing and the natural environment and how it should be protected from greenfield site developments.
But at the moment it is just talk.
What are you actually doing?
Get the law changed
Lobbying for less housing numbers is going to have little effect. Officers have been trying for years – we think.
Tangible action, thinking outside the box, is the only possible option.
This is what you can do. Get the law changed.
Out of date VAT ruling
At the moment there is no incentive for developers to build houses on brownfield sites.
Because of an out of date VAT ruling, building on a brownfield site is classed as renovation. This VAT ruling was intended for the renovation of historic buildings, but has been interpreted to include renovation of brownfield sites.
Even though they are areas where – if still existing- the buildings are raised to the ground, cleared to become a virgin space ready for houses to be built upon.
The incentive needs to be present for developers
The VAT law needs to be changed so that developers of housing – especially affordable housing – on brownfield sites do not have to pay any VAT at all.
(The 5% anomaly if the right complex application is made is not good enough as it still amounts to a lot of money and is clearly not working)
Alternatively do the undesirable reverse and charge VAT on ALL developments whether on Greenfield or Brownfield sites.
Farmland needs to be preserved for its intended purpose
In the new climate of planet preservation, farmland needs to be preserved for its intended purpose – producing food- especially if everyone has to eat more vegetables and reduce air miles.
This small, simple straight forward change could have a significant difference to the British as well and the Island’s landscape.
