Anyone who has been a reader of VB over the years will know that we think that the way the planning department and its enforcement unit at the Isle of Wight Council (IWC) are run is important. They have the responsibility of keeping an eye and hand on large parts of the where we live.
Reading in the CP last week that the Isle of Wight council had accelerated an enforcement issue from a complaint to the actual drafting of an enforcement notice in less than a month, we were compelled to find out more.
It was all over a 35m high art spar in Gate House Lane, Ashey – an attractive and rather interesting artwork which is a prototype being tested prior to manufacture.
It’s produced by AM Structures, an innovative Island-based company who have worked with the likes of Internationally-renowned industrial designer, Ron Arad. Quite an accolade.
Enforcement in less than a month
We understood that the artwork hadn’t been in place for very long, so were surprised to hear that enforcement action would be taking place so quickly, so we looked into it.
Bill Murphy, head of planning told us last week, “The council were made aware of this on 11 November and is concerned about the impact of the structure, which has been erected on the top of a hillside, on the visual amenity and rural character of the area.”
Wow, in less than a month an enforcement notice is being prepared to be served on the owner of the artwork.
So, it got us to thinking about how that fast turnaround compares to other enforcement action on the Island?
Send us your enforcement stories
Unfortunately, the generally snail pace of enforcement on the Island has been experienced by many, including us.
These cases bear no comparison to the speed of this recent case, so we’d be really interested to hear about your experiences, dear reader.
If you’ve been subject to surprisingly fast enforcement or suffered under long, drawn-out enforcement, get in touch and we’ll share your experience with others – anonymously if you’d prefer.
Image: gregoryjameswalsh under CC BY-SA 2.0
