On Air Now Nick Osborne 10:00am - 3:00pm Shawn Mendes - Stitches Schedule

Financial Target Nearly Reached To Appeal 'Heart-Breaking' West Acre Farm Development

The financial target has nearly been reached to appeal the West Acre Park decision.

As previously reported, the 473-home West Acre Park in Ryde scheme was approved over the summer.

It was a contentious meeting - with the Isle of Wight Council's planning committee debating the issue for nearly three hours on the night it was voted through. The decision to give the green light split councillors — with four members trying to find a valid reason.

Now, £13,000 alone needs to be raised for a legal solicitor to appeal the decision. The campaign group 'Save Westridge Farm' is around £600 off the target, at the time of writing.

Deputy Mayor of Ryde and Ward Councillor for Appley and Elmfield, Cllr Jenna Sabine is passionate about saving Westridge Farm from development to become a working community asset, she said: 

"Once it was approved, we didn't agree that things have been done completely right, so we have started the process of taking the Isle of Wight Council to Judicial Review...

"To actually visit the little boy who wants the farm and to see the dad who has farmed it all his life, he bought it for his family in the original lease - it is heartbreaking.

"But it is massively overwhelming to see how generous people are, they are giving what they can. You don't underestimate that kindness of people, the fact they are choosing to give to this I find really emotional, I know money has come from people who can't afford it."

Most donations have come from locals who are against the plans, but there are also people from the mainland contributing because Cllr Sabine says "it is part of a wider issue" about developing on Greenfield sites.

The campaign group wants to use the land for the good of the community instead, saving it as a community asset.

According to the planning statement, submitted as part of the documentation, planning agents, BCM, says it is envisaged the applicants will build approximately 50 dwellings per annum — meaning the site could potentially take nine and half years to build.

Cllr Sabine added:

"This is for the good of all of us and about making a huge, radical change. We all need to pull together, it's about empowering the smaller person here."

Go here to donate to the cause https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-westridge-farm/

More from Isle of Wight News