Deadline Looms For Freshwater Development: But Who's Saying What?

With just a day to go until the comments close on the outline planning application for 130 homes on Camp Road, Freshwater, just who is saying what about the plans?

Plans were unveiled last month for the major development, on a greenfield site, by Tallulah Estates — eight years after a scheme for eight houses was refused.

Since then, more than 100 comments have been lodged with the Isle of Wight Council — with the majority against the development.

As Isle of Wight Radio exclusively reported, residents say the development is about "greed not need" and have raised a number of concerns:

The impact the development will have on wildlife, the issue that it will cause for roads and infrastructure and the fact that the field floods.

But who else has had their say as the comment deadline looms?

Bob Seely MP

The Island’s MP has said it is a large development for a small rural town and he is concerned about the impact on existing residents, health services, local schools, infrastructure and the environment.

Mr Seely said: “The West Wight is largely rural and therefore residents would not expect to have housing crammed onto every green piece of land. This is yet again another example of developers not building with Islanders in mind.”

Freshwater Parish Council

The parish council is objecting to the development on seven grounds, including agriculture, flooding risk, overdevelopment of the site and ecology.

Hampshire Constabulary

The designing out crime officer says the indicative, although not final, layout has created opportunities for crime and disorder and it cannot support it with these issues.

They said: “The design and layout of a development influences the opportunities for crime and disorder. The presence of good natural surveillance of the public realm, defensible space (especially about dwellings), good lighting and appropriate connectivity and permeability will reduce the opportunities for crime and disorder.”

Island Roads

The council’s highway authority has recommended the application for refusal based on fice grounds including insufficient onsite cycleway provision, lack of green travel measures and generation of traffic.

It has also said there is insufficient information about the proposed junction onto Camp Road, with the details supplied deficient and inadequate. In its current form, the proposal may represent a hazard to highway users by virtue of inadequate kerb alignment and pedestrian crossing visibility splays.

Freshwater South, Cllr John Medland

Saying it would be completely inappropriate, Cllr Medland said the housing would be better suited to Sandown Bay as the area has the better infrastructure and is suited for a development of that size.

He said:

“It won’t meet our local housing objectives and it will create an extra burden in a sense: a huge amount of extra housing when we have very low levels of social infrastructure, when you think of the retail, health service and public services.

“We are out on a limb here, it is like building a city at Land’s End.”

But, what have supporters said? 

One supporter said housing is required on the Island and this site, on Camp Road, seems suitable and sensible.

They said:

“Please don’t let this be another red brick mock Georgian project of bland boxes, let it be an inspiring, environmentally friendly and socially responsible project that we can be proud of.”

Another said:

“Population increase requires housing, both affordable and sustainable. The site is perfect and the reports available from the surveys all support a viable build site.”

A third said:

“Great news for Freshwater to have some new housing on offer and linked to increased job opportunities at places like Teeemill, Tapnell Farm and Tesco, all of which are very nearby. Not to mention jobs created through the construction of new homes.”

The deadline for the comments on the application (21/01552/OUT) being submitted to the Isle of Wight Council is tomorrow, Friday, September 24.