"Opportunity For Islanders Lost Forever" — Outcry Over Land Asset Sales

A councillor who voted against four land asset sales passed by an Isle of Wight Council committee last week has lamented an “opportunity for Islanders lost, forever”.

The Empowering Islanders group’s Cllr Chris Jarman was the sole opponent on the policy, finance and resources committee (PFRC) of the sale of the Columbine building in East Cowes, the Sandham Middle School site in Sandown, Elmdon, a former care home in Shanklin and the Thompson House site in Gatcombe.

The representative for Totland and Colwell said disposing the assets to commercial developers under “commercially confidential terms” would obstruct a “potential delivery” of social rent housing.

He told the press:

“In January 2025, full council passed a motion by Empowering Islanders and Conservative Groups that disposal of Isle of Wight Council land assets would be subject to a disposal policy.

“That policy would require each piece of council land to be assessed for delivery, by the council, of social rent housing prior to disposal.

“Officers were directed to complete that policy document and hence ensure that no further sales to commercial developers would rob us of the lands to deliver social rent housing.

“Despite reminders, the policy was not brought to full council for approval, nor were the councillors that proposed the policy even contacted for input.”

“Instead, it was held back until last week where it was presented with a few days’ notice to the new PFRC.”

Cllr Jarman said the “draft (policy) circulated did not comply with the will of the full council motion passed in January” and so could not be approved.

His position at the PFRC last week was to “delay the discussion on these disposals by just four weeks so that it would fall under the new policy”.

Such a delay “just possibly would have changed the decision from a commercial sale to the council delivering substantial numbers of social rent housing”, he added.

A council report on the Columbine Building disposal says a sale would ‘align strongly with the council’s strategic goals of supporting local employment, enabling maritime related uses and fostering economic regeneration’.

The sale of the former Sandham Middle School site would ensure the delivery of ‘much-needed housing on the Isle of Wight’, a separate report states.

Officers have said the Elmdon site is ‘surplus to the council’s requirements’ and that the preferred bidder, Mr R Bendy, is proposing to redevelop the site for a ‘residential use’.

The selected bidder for the Thompson House site, Strategic Green Land, is looking to build 15 new homes, subject to planning permission, with a ‘contribution toward off-site affordable homes’, according to the council.