Freshwater Council Objects To Plans For 44 Homes

A proposed 44-home development on a field next to an Isle of Wight village has been criticised over ‘severe highway safety and layout deficiencies’.

Freshwater Parish Council (FPC) lodged an objection against Onyx Development Finance’s planned residential estate to the east of Birch Close in Freshwater which includes access roads, parking and landscaping.

The developer’s agent, Spruce Town Planning, previously said the scheme is of a ‘high-quality’ design, appropriate to the area’s character, and will not generate a level of extra traffic which could harm road safety.

FPC’s letter to the council said: “The application fails to demonstrate a safe, workable, and sustainable site-specific drainage strategy dealing with both surface and ground water.

“The density and layout of the proposed development is out of character with that of the neighbouring Birch Close and surrounding areas.”

It said the application has not ‘satisfactorily demonstrated’ that the proposal can be accommodated without increasing existing surface-water flood risk, property flooding and pressure upon foul drainage infrastructure.

FPC also criticised the development’s design quality as ‘inadequate’.

The public body said it is not in keeping with housing density in the area and creates a ‘poor space’ overall which results in parallel only parking, insufficient plot sizes as well as a lack of communal amenity space and screening to prevent overlooking.

FPC also described the adjacent Colwell Road as ‘often constricted’ due to parked cars, delivery vans and utility vehicles.

Spruce Town Planning previously said each dwelling will meet or exceed the nationally described space standards.

It stated: “The chalet bungalows and houses will benefit from private gardens and the apartments will have communal outside space alongside communal bike and bin stores.”

The consultancy also said there was no risk of flooding and there was suitable drainage facilities.

County Hall’s public consultation on the application finishes today (Friday, August 28) and a decision is planned for October 29.