News shared by Michael Lilley, in his own words. Ed
Ryde Town Council are holding a virtual public meeting at 2pm today (Thursday) to consult with Ryde residents on the current proposed Pennyfeathers submission of reserved matters to build 930 houses on green fields south east of the Town.
Due to virtual meeting limitations only 15 residents are able to take part in the meeting with others only able to view via YouTube, local Ryde East Councillor, Michael Lilley see this as evidence of how residents are really restricted in participating in planning decisions which affect their lives,
Call to sign the petition
Cllr Lilley is asking Ryde and Isle of Wight residents to sign a petition and provide comments so he can send it to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, IW MP Bob Seeley, and IW Council urgently, to seek a halt on all Ryde planning applications that have not received approval, so that Ryde residents can determine their future with only existing approved housing going ahead and preserve the remaining greenfield sites such as Westridge farm.
See the Petition on the Change.org Website.
Speaking today Cllr Lilley said,
“I have launched a petition out of frustration. During Covid-19 and lockdown, the residents of Ryde and the Isle of Wight are being denied their participatory rights in law to fully engage with the planning process.
“People are faced with a complete unknown of the future, lost loved ones, and living with the effects of Covid-19 for the rest of their lives.
“Meanwhile, through this hardship, landowners and developers in Ryde have ploughed on with their plans to build on greenfield sites regardless of whether people need them or can afford them …which they cannot.
“In my view it is destroying future livelihoods such as the loss of a working farm and the well-being of the community. Ryde has a deficit of green-space and we cannot afford to lose any more green field sites. It is utter madness.”
Pennyfeathers and overdevelopment in South-East of Ryde
Outline planning permission was granted in 2015 for Pennyfeathers by IW Council although the majority of Ryde residents and Ryde Town Council objected.
It has taken six years for the final plans to be submitted. The determination of a reserved matters application is different as most of the issues have already been identified, resolved, and agreed. It is essentially a condition discharge application.
Foregone conclusion
In simple terms, whatever views residents are on Pennyfeathers, they may have now they can only influence minor changes as overall, it is a foregone conclusion that Pennyfeathers – if financed – will go ahead along with other granted outline planning permissions in Ryde South/East.
These include Harcourt Sands and Rosemary Vineyard, 86 houses on Hope Road (also known as West Acre Park) will be completed in 12 months. This totals 1,300 houses that in the next ten years will be built alongside approximately 700 other new homes in other parts of the Town.
However, this does not include two current planning applications for 50 houses at Puckpool and 465 at Westridge Farm (an extension of West Acre Park). Therefore, the total could be well over 2,500 new homes and a 25% increase in Ryde’s population. Residents and Ryde Town Council think Ryde cannot accommodate this growth.
Jordan: Infrastructure in Ryde is at breaking point
Cllr Phil Jordan of Ryde Town Council added:
“Our infrastructure in Ryde is at breaking point. Highways reports have concluded that several junctions are at capacity already and there are no plans to address the impact of the huge growth of houses, people, and residents that these developments bring.
“No extra parking in the town, no solution for bypassing the town centre with vehicles and no strategy for improving traffic flows. It is a chaotic approach to a chaotic situation. This cannot continue and our residents are telling us, enough is enough, please stop this uncontrollable mess.”
