When the Isle of Wight Council took on the Venture Quays site in East Cowes in 2020 it included the caveat that houses should be built — but just what is happening now?
In the nearly three years since the authority bought the collection of sites for £1.3 million, car parking charges have been introduced, work has been done to some buildings and planning permission achieved for a new sailing hub in the Victoria Barracks but there is no sign of housing.
It is thought at least 50 homes could be built on the Maresfield Road car park and on the space in Albany Road, currently occupied by sustainable clothing producer Teemill, an offshoot of Rapanui.
According to the deal with Homes England, the council had until 2022 to get planning permission and 2024 to start building houses or risk the land being sold back to the government body for £1.
The planning permission has not been secured and the deadline has been pushed twice to March 2024, with work starting by 2025.
The council can request a variation to the dates again, if needed.
The delays so far, the authority has said, are primarily due to the Covid pandemic.
A public consultation on the East Cowes waterfront plan, the council said, saw an interest in extra care/assisted living and affordable housing.
Four expressions of interest were received for the site in May last year but a feasibility study of the site said it had ‘severe negative viability’ and there was ‘no interest from an affordable housing provider’.
A procurement process is set to start in July to provide extra care housing, on the Maresfield site first, as it correlates with the council’s corporate objectives and supports the need for that type of facility on the Island, the council said.
The procurement exercise will prioritise schemes that are more than 35 per cent affordable and with a local connection.
A decision from the cabinet is needed to take any offers for the site forward in any capacity and one has been on the council’s work list for nearly a year to dispose of the site.
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