A 27-house development could be built in a field next to a large Isle of Wight village.
Colwell Bay View Ltd’s outline application to County Hall for housing on agricultural land next to Spring Hill off Colwell Road would ‘go some way’ towards providing ‘much-needed housing’ in Freshwater, a statement from consultancy Plan Research said.
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.”
A new pavement would be a ‘significant improvement’ for public footpath users who who at present must walk in the carriageway due to farm vehicles and visitors also using the lane, Plan Research added.
Also included in the application is a proposal to ‘widen the carriageway’ at the south end of Brambles Chine, described as a ‘pinch point’, to six metres which would allow space for two vehicles to pass each other.
The site is ‘within a two-minute walk’ of the Brambles Corner bus stop and a ‘five-minute cycle ride’ from the centre of Freshwater.
View the plans
You can view the plans on the council’s planning register (24/01896/OUT).
The public consultation runs until 7th February 2025 and a decision is due to be made by 8th April.
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
