Is more housing on the cards for Freshwater?

Freshwater residents have expressed alarm over a proposed mixed use development including 69 housing units.

The Heathfield Farm camp site outline planning application also proposes retail floorspace, road infrastructure and parking facilities. Bordered by Heathfield Road and the A3054 Colwell Road, the site occupies a total area of more than 47,000 sq metres (11½ acres) and includes a mix of greenfield and brownfield land, according to the application’s design and access statement.

The document claims a minimum 35 per cent of the proposed housing units will be affordable, to comply with local planning policy.

In objecting comments, residents have flagged increased traffic and pollution in the area, pressure on public services and infrastructure, and environmental degradation.

One resident commented: “The village can’t cope with the extra load put on it by the housing development, in terms of more residents requiring services, such as the doctor, dentist and shopping, plus the extra traffic it will generate.”

Another wrote: “With constant roadworks and traffic lights in Heathfield Road already, I am really concerned about any new development that will cause noise and disruption over a considerable period of time, and the impact [of] this building work will cause to the other residents in Heathfield Road, most of whom are elderly.

“I am also concerned about the environmental impact; this green belt area of woods/fields affected have nesting birds, red squirrels, etc, and this will be completely destroyed by this planning application.”

The proposal also attracted criticism from further afield. A “regular patron” of the camp site from Ryde, said it was the “jewel in the crown” for Freshwater camping. He commented: “This proposed development, once again, represents how our beautiful countryside and local green spaces are being destroyed for additional housing and, more importantly, huge financial gain for the landowner and developer.”

Island Roads lodged an objection that the application submitted “insufficient information” regarding proposed development traffic.

You can comment on the application under reference 24/00993/OUT via the IW Council’s planning portal until September 2.