"Historic" Challenge Against Council To Be Heard In Second Highest Court In The Land Today

An Isle of Wight campaign group’s “historic” challenge against a County Hall planning decision will be heard in the second highest court in the land from today (Tuesday).

Elmfield group Greenfields (IOW) Ltd’s bid to stop 473 homes being built on the 200-year-old Westridge Farm in Ryde will be heard at the Court of Appeal in London today and tomorrow.

Financed by hundreds of Island residents, Greenfields is appealing Judge Jarman’s dismissal of its case against the Isle of Wight Council in an Administrative Court ruling made in August last year.

In August 2023, council planners gave Westridge Village Ltd conditional permission to develop West Acre Park with 473 homes, 35 per cent of which would be ‘affordable’ according to a County Hall legal agreement with the developer.

In a joint statement, Greenfields and Ryde Appley and Elmfield county councillor Michael Lilley said:

“This case is historic as this is the first time that over 600 Isle of Wight residents have raised the finance to take on the Isle of Wight Council.

“There were originally over 600 resident objections and over 5,000 residents signing a petition against this controversial planning permission.

“It is a landmark and iconic case in that whatever the outcome it will be creating case law and showing ordinary people need to be listened to more fairly in the future and the need for housing is balanced with the need to face the realities of climate change, flooding, reducing traffic, and the needs of nature.

“Residents have always argued that the site not only did not have proper road infrastructure to sustain development, but the land was the last nature and flood prevention corridor in Ryde and eradicating it was detrimental to the town and the community of Appley and Elmfield.

“Principally, the case was about process and residents have continued to believe the planning process in this case was biased, not fair, and unlawful.”

The Isle of Wight Council and the developer overseeing the West Acre Park project development, Captiva Homes, have been approached for comment.