Pennyfeathers: Detail added to plan for 900 homes in Ryde

A reserved matters application was submitted at the end of 2020 supplying more details about the access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the development to the Isle of Wight Council for approval.

The original planning application for Pennyfeathers was validated by the council in December 2014, gaining outline permission in September 2017 for a maximum of 904 homes, a new school and community centre, with final plans in the pipeline ever since.

The former plans for Pennyfeathers, which have been altered slightly.

Now, agents for the development, Hepburns Planning Consultancy, are asking for final approval of the finer details attached to the original application in 2017.

The greenfield development would also provide commercial buildings, a community energy centre, sports building with changing rooms, play areas, structural landscaping and highways improvements, including adding a roundabout on the main Brading Road.

In the planning statement, Hepburns said: "There can be suspicion why an application is not made in the early part of the time allowed ... but the government and planning authority acknowledge that three years is about right for the submission of further details. It is no small task finding common ground between consultants of different professions.

"Quite clearly the driving force of this application is to bring forward suitable housing. This housing has to reflect housing need ... Since the outline planning permission was granted the pressure to provide new housing has increased."

• Read what else planners had to say about the development here: 'Not a standard application' Pennyfeathers planners say

The Pennyfeathers site in Ryde.

The 904 houses and flats will be split between the open market and affordable housing — with more than half, 587, going towards the open market — 29 one bed, 206 two-bed, 235 three-bed and 117 four-beds.

A total of 317 units will either be shared ownership or have an affordable rent — 90 one-bed, 131 two-bed, 80 three-bed and 16 four-bed units.

A new spine road will run through the development linking Brading Road, Great Preston Road and Smallbrook Lane which planners said "provides a unique solution to not only help solve the existing lack of highway capacity and junction alignment issues in the area but also unlocks other neighbouring development too."

With a potential 1,800 houses added to the south and east of Ryde in the next few years through approved and pending applications, Cllr Michael Lilley is still opposed to the development.

• 'Our area of Ryde will be permanent building site' say residents
• Read more: Ryde Mayor calls for 'ethics' over Pennyfeathers planning change

Part of the Pennyfeathers site in Ryde.

• Read more: 'Wasteland' Pennyfeathers development in Ryde might not start until 2022

Ward councillor for Ryde East, Cllr Lilley also called for a moratorium of all planning applications in 2020 and halting applications during the Covid-19 pandemic, with residents unable to meet to discuss the development or struggling to comment or make objections if they have no internet access, but was unsuccessful.

He said: "Ryde residents, especially those living in the east and south, not only have to face the threat of Covid, experiencing Covid, losing loved ones from Covid and manage the third Lockdown in the last 10 months, they have three large planning applications to take in. It is simply inhumane and in my view totally violates their human rights.

"These large scale housing developments are the cart before the horse. There is no Ryde Masterplan that connects the outline approved planning applications (Pennyfeathers, Nicolson Road and Rosemary Vineyard, Harcourt Sands) and the two new applications (West Acre Park and Puckpool) — it is just private developers and landowners, including the Isle of Wight Council, doing their own thing.

"There is no agreed master road infrastructure plan and no plans for community/education/job creation/health infrastructure. There is no consensus between Island Roads and the council.

"Any meetings between developers, if any, have been in total secrecy and Ryde Town Council has been totally ignored. It is a mess, chaotic and just leaves the Ryde residents left powerless and bewildered."

A packed public meeting at Ryde Methodist Church, discussing the Pennyfeathers application a couple of years ago.

To view all the planning documents, or make a comment on the application (20/02159/ARM) by February 12, you can visit the council's planning portal.