More than 150 Islanders in Bembridge have met the Island's MP to share their views on the new draft Island Plan - which determines where new housing will go on the Island over the next 15 years.
MP Bob Seely was joined by East Wight Councillors Joe Robertson and Jonathan Bacon, and West Wight Councillors Peter Spink and Chris Jarman who were also keen to hear the views of residents.
The meeting kicked off with a presentation by local campaign group ‘Build a Better Bembridge’ – a group of local residents concerned with the wellbeing of the village. Bruce Huber spoke eloquently about the needs of the village.
The group presented their concerns about the suitability of the village to absorb 180 new homes with two small access roads, existing High Street congestion issues and limited parking and employment opportunities. Drainage and water management issues were also highlighted, along with concerns about the additional strain on transport, healthcare, and education. House prices and environmental concerns were also raised.
Mr Seely also addressed residents setting out his plans to address overdevelopment across the Island which included lobbying Government for greater landscape protections and reducing the Island’s housing target. He urged residents who hadn’t yet responded to the Island Plan consultation to do so before it closes for comments on Friday (1 October).
Following the meeting, Mr Seely said:
“I would like to thank all of the Bembridge residents who came to the meeting to discuss how planning can be more community-led and how we fight against large-scale and unwanted greenfield development. There were lots of great contributions.
“In Bembridge, it’s really important that planners do not expand the village settlement boundaries to allow more large-scale development on the edge of the village.
“I have published my response to the Island Plan consultation on my website. I would urge anyone looking for advice on how to respond to the consultation to take a look there first.”
Bembridge Councillor Joe Robertson said:
“I am calling for a reduction in future housing numbers for Bembridge in the draft Island Plan Strategy. Over the summer we have seen severe flooding in the Village. Three of the worst affected roads – High Street, Steyne Road and Hillway – intersect with fields that the draft IPS allocates for 180 new homes. Having seen flood damage done to properties and 20,000 litres of water pumped out of the nearby pub on one night this summer, it is clear that the drains are unable to cope with the current houses. Our priority must be to ensure local infrastructure is able to cope with the housing and population we already have before any discussion about adding more.
“Bembridge is in many respects an Island within an Island having only two access roads and one bus an hour. It is bound on three sides by the sea. It is simply not suitable as a growth area which the draft IPS appears to have it earmarked for. I am also calling for the IPS to keep Bembridge as a “rural service centre” like Yarmouth and not categorise it as a “secondary settlement” alongside bigger, busier places such as Ventnor and Wootton.
“I would like to thank local residents for turning out in such large numbers to voice their concerns. My thanks also to Bob Seely for taking the time to visit Bembridge and for speaking so passionately about protecting our Island from unwanted development.”
Councillor for Brading and St Helens, and Cabinet Member for Environment, Heritage and Waste Management, Jonathan Bacon, said:
“I was very pleased to attend the meeting at Bembridge and to see the level of interest in the draft Island Planning Strategy. As was stated at the meeting, the current document is very much a draft and will be amended before the final version is arrived at. With this in mind the input received at such meetings is very valuable.
“The key is to make sure we are able to provide evidence and substantiate what is eventually put forward as it has to be approved by a Government Inspector. It is also important that we ensure we produce a Plan that is acceptable so that it can be put into effect as soon as possible and enable us to get away from the position we have been left in where we have little or no local control at all over our planning. Within these parameters we must do everything we can to get a plan that works to preserve and sustain all that is good about the Island.”
Islanders can submit their comments on the plan here: https://www.iow.gov.uk/
Mr Seely’s consultation response can be viewed here: https://www.bobseely.org.uk/
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