West Acre Park Consultation Report
Introduction
Ryde Town Council are a statutory consultee for planning proposals in Ryde and as such
provide comment on all planning applications in the area. The standard methodology for
arriving at responses to applications is through the regular 3 weekly planning committee
meetings.
For larger developments Ryde Town Council’s planning committee hold consultation events
which inform the committee of the public feeling about this kind of application and assist
them in making an informed response for Ryde. In normal times this would be done through
a public meeting where residents could air their views and, if willing, the developer could
explain some of the finer points of his proposal.
Due to COVID Ryde Town Council has had to take a new approach to dealing with these
large development proposals to ensure that the public’s views are properly considered.
Methodology
In order to obtain the views of residents Ryde Town Council has circulated to approximately
2000 households in the local area information regarding the proposals at West Acre Park.
Included in these leaflets are details for how residents can comment on the proposals and
submit them to the Town Council. The responses have been collated and an analysis of all
the submissions is included at Appendix 1 below.
As a result of COVID restrictions, Ryde Town Council have held recent Planning Committee
meetings and their first Full Council meeting via Zoom with live streaming through YouTube.
The plans for our first online consultation event will include provision for public
representation along the same lines as are used by the Isle of Wight Council planning
committee and are as follows:
1. Invite up to 15 members of the general public to speak for a maximum of 3 minutes.
2. Invite a representative for the developer to speak for a maximum of 5 minutes.
3. Invite the ward Councillor to speak for a maximum of 5 minutes.
4. Planning Committee to consider the contents of Appendix 1
5. Planning Committee to consider comments on the IW website from Statutory
Consultees.
Appendix 1
Analysis of responses submitted to Ryde Town Council
Below is an analysis of responses received by Ryde Town Council outlining all the reasons
given for objection or support of the proposals for the West Acre Park Development
scheme. The submissions have been anonymised and analysed to show the level of support
or opposition for each topic area.
Figure 1
Comment #
For
Against
Reason for Objection
Reason for Support
Material
Non Material
Ryde East
Non Ryde East
Increase Traffic
Infrastructure
Ecology
Housing Numbers
Green Space
Other
Affordable Housing
Green Space
Cycling Walking
Other
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
1
1
1
Economy
1
1
6
1
1
1
ASB
1
1
1
7
1
1
1
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
1
8
1
1
1
9
1
House Type
1
10
1
1
1
1
1
11
1
None
1
1
12
1
1
1
1
1
loss of farm
1
1
1
13
1
1
14
1
1
15
1
1
1
1
Doctors
1
1
1
16
1
1
1
1
tourism crime
1
1
1
17
1
1
1
1
Noise, Smells
1
1
1
1
18
1
1
19
1
1
1
1
1
20
1
1
1
1
1
1
21
1
22
1
1
23
1
1
24
1
1
1
1
1
1
25
1
1
26
1
1
1
1
1
1
27
1
1
1
settlement coelescence
1
1
1
28
1
1
1
1
29
1
1
1
1
1
Street lights
1
1
30
1
1
1
1
Harcourt Sands
1
1
1
31
1
1
1
1
32
1
1
Hospital
1
1
33
1
34
1
1
1
1
frastructure firs
1
35
1
1
1
1
1
1
36
1
1
1
1
Sewage
1
1
1
37
1
1
1
1
1
38
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
39
1
1
1
Parking, noise
1
40
1
1
1
1
ttlement boundary
1
41
1
1
1
1
Community hub
1
1
1
42
1
1
1
1
road Safety
Allotment
1
1
43
1
1
1
loss of Farm
1
1
1
44
1
1
farm, boundary, pollution, noise
1
1
1
45
1
loss of Farm
1
1
1
46
1
1
loss of Farm and flooding
1
1
1
47
1
1
1
1
loss of Farm and flooding
1
1
1
48
1
1
1
loss of Farm and flooding
1
1
1
49
1
loss of Farm
1
1
1
1
50
1
1
1
stress
1
1
1
51
1
details about access
1
52
1
1
1
1
53
1
1
1
1
54
1
1
1
1
employment
1
1
1
55
1
56
1
1
doctors
1
1
1
57
1
flood risk
58
1
1
1
59
1
1
1
1
1
1
60
1
1
1
1
1
empty properties elsewhere
1
1
1
61
1
1
1
loss of farm
1
1
1
62
1
1
1
oss of farm, jobs
1
1
1
63
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
64
1
1
1
1
1
1
65
1
1
1
66
1
1
67
1
1
Density
1
1
1
1
68
1
1
1
1
1
1
69
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
70
1
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
1
71
1
1
1
1
1
much green spa
1
1
1
1
72
1
1
1
ASB, loss of farm
1
1
1
73
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
74
1
1
1
1
Tourism
1
1
1
75
1
1
1
1
1
1
76
1
1
1
1
1
1
77
1
1
1
Urban Sprawl
1
1
1
78
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
1
79
1
1
1
Parking
1
1
80
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
81
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
82
1
1
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
1
1
83
1
1
1
1
Loss of Farm
1
1
1
1
TOTALS
7
76
36
25
17
23
17
1
14
7
3
1
57
39
43
9
There were a total of 83 responses and the views contained are logged and categorised in
the spreadsheet above (figure 1). Detailed analysis of the submissions is included below.
Figure 2 shows the total number of submissions which either supported or opposed the
application. However, a small number of the submissions which were opposed to the
scheme did identify elements of the proposal which they welcomed (for instance affordable
housing and public green space)
Figure 2
For or Against
For 7
Against 76
Figure 3 details the 6 main reasons for objection, around 2 thirds of the objections identify
increased traffic, pressure on infrastructure and question the housing number figures and
the appropriateness of building on the proposed site.
Figure 3
Reasons for objection
Loss of Farm 16
Increase Traffic 36
Ecology 17
Housing Numbers
23
Infrastructure 25
Loss of Green
space 17
Figure 4 outlines the reasons that contributors had highlighted as their reason for
supporting elements of the scheme. This includes submissions which were fundamentally
against the proposal but had identified some elements that they were in favour of.
Figure 4
Reasons for support
Doctors 1
Cycling/walking 3
Public GreenSpace 7
Affordable Housing 14
The local planning authority has to evaluate applications with regard to planning legislation.
Decisions are arrived at after assessing the applications against the various material
consideration contained in the Island Core Plan. Non-material consideration, such as right to
a view, are not considered when planning decisions are made.
Figure 5 shows the number of material and non-material reasons given for refusal which
were included in the submissions. Many of the submissions included a mixture of material
and non-material reasons for objection.
Planning is often a very local issue and the majority of opposition will often come from
residents in the immediate area. Figure 6 shows, where submitted, the location of the
objector in terms of whether they live in Ryde East.
Figure 5
Figure 6
Material or Non-Material
Ryde East or not
Non Ryde East 12
Non-material 48
Material 66
Ryde East 49
Summary
The Isle of Wight has been one of the worst performing councils with regards housing
delivery in recent years. The current housing requirement figures suggest that 688 houses
are needed per year and most recently the Isle of Wight have delivered 348. The latest
figures suggest that the Island will have to produce 1045 new homes per annum.
The consultation made it clear that, although new housing is required, it should be
affordable and or social and be for Island residents reflecting a price point that Island wages
can support.
There is strong feeling that the proposed site is not suitable due to a lack of adequate local
infrastructure including the local road network, doctors, schools and green space.
Many respondents sited the loss of the Farm as a reason for opposing the application
although this would not be regarded as material by the LPA.
Another frequently sited reason for objection was the fact that the development was
outside of the Island Core Plan settlement area and that the development could be seen as
facilitating settlement coalescence. Both of these would be material considerations.
11 of the respondents asked Ryde Town Council to object on their behalf but no reason for
objection.
The Isle of Wight Council Planning website has at present 129 objects and 3 letters of
support.