A 27-house development next to a large Isle of Wight village has been denied planning permission after the council received over 50 objections.
County Hall refused Colwell Bay View Ltd’s outline application for housing with a vehicle access on agricultural land off Freshwater’s Colwell Road.
Reasons for refusal
Planners said the development “would result in the loss of an important gap within an area where the farmland forms an important green lung between developed areas and the coast, the loss of which would harm the visual amenity of the landscape character of the area”.
The refusal notice also stated that, “insufficient information has been submitted with the application to demonstrate a full assessment of the application site’s importance to species associated with the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Area and Colwell Bay SSSI and mitigation and/or compensation for any potential adverse impacts”.
Paperwork was also found to be insufficient in relation to the removal of hedgerows and flood risk mitigation. The lack of signed obligation to provide affordable housing was also a factor in the decision-making.
35 % of homes would be ‘affordable housing’
Consultancy Plan Research said the plans would ‘go some way’ towards providing ‘much-needed housing’ in Freshwater in a Planning, Design and Access Statement.
The document stated 35 per cent of the proposed homes would be ‘affordable housing’, with the scheme also delivering ‘significant wildlife enhancements’ and ‘public footway improvements’.
It said,
“There would be a mixture of smaller and larger housing stock available for affordable rent or purchase, depending on the agreement that the council would make with the applicant.
“Our client believes that the majority of the houses on the site, being two or three bedroomed, would match the evidenced housing need for the West Wight.
“There would be no significant overlooking from the proposed houses to existing dwellings.
“Occupiers of the application site would not have to rely on the private car, and so the site is sustainable.
“Within this application our client has proposed a new pavement which would run along the lane known as Brambles Chine.”
Critics of the proposal
The proposal’s critics include Freshwater Parish Council, county councillor Chris Jarman and the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s (CPRE) Isle of Wight branch.
Objections were based on a wide variety of grounds including the site being greenfield land, concerns over flooding and sewage, pressure on local services, adverse effects on wildlife, light pollution and highway safety.
‘Out of keeping’
Other criticisms included the homes lacking genuine affordability and being ‘out of keeping’ with surrounding buildings as well as disquiet over ‘irreparable damage to a still rural area’.
Councillor Jarman described the council’s decision as ‘another well-reasoned rejection secured by overwhelming community action and evidence’.
13 letters of support
Planners recorded 13 letters of support for the application which put forward arguments including housing need, the potential for concerns to be addressed or doubt over their validity and economic benefits.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
