Efforts have been stepped up by some Isle of Wight councillors - led by Ryde’s Mayor Michael Lilley - to put a stop to large scale greenfield housing developments in the East Wight.
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Isle Of Wight Fails To Meet Housing Targets - What Happens Now?
By Louise Hill LDR
The Isle of Wight has only achieved 54 per cent of its housebuilding target over the past three years leaving it vulnerable to unwanted development.
Its poor record, which left it close to the bottom of the national table, means there is a presumption of approval to applications for schemes within the National Planning Policy Framework.
Between 2017 and 2020, 1,823 homes should have been built to meet government-set targets but only 978 were delivered.
What happens now the Isle of Wight has failed its housing targets? The Isle of Wight has only achieved 54 per cent of its housebuilding target over the past three years leaving it vulnerable to unwanted development. Its poor record, which left it close to the bottom of the national table, means there is a presumption of approval to applications for schemes within the National Planning Policy Framework. Between 2017 and 2020, 1,823 homes should have been built to meet government-set targets but only 978 were delivered. Across the Solent, Southampton achieved 129 per cent against its target but Portsmouth only reached 80 per cent. Only 17 areas in the country had worse housing levels than the Island, all falling below the thresholds which means their planning authorities are subject to the strongest sanctions.
The Pennyfeathers development. Picture by Farrell Design Studios. FINAL details have been submitted for the Pennyfeathers development putting the meat on its bones with one councillor still against the clear overdevelopment of Ryde. A reserved matters application was submitted at the end of 2020 supplying more details about the access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the development to the Isle of Wight Council for approval. The original planning application for Pennyfeathers was validated by the council in December 2014, gaining outline permission in September 2017 for a maximum of 904 homes, a new school and community centre, with final plans in the pipeline ever since.