Save Westridge Farm launch legal challenge funding campaign

Led by the deputy mayor of Ryde, Jenna Sabine, the Save Westridge Farm campaign needs to reach £13,000 by the start of October and is asking people to help fund the review.

So far, £5,220 has been pledged in support by 114 people.

Approval was given in July, by the Isle of Wight Council's planning committee, for local developers, Captiva Homes, to build 474 homes on the last dairy farm in Ryde, despite a group of councillors best efforts.

• Controversial Westridge Farm housing plan is approved
• Why IW councillors could not say no to Westridge Farm plan

Now, the campaign group, who protested outside County Hall before the planning meeting are trying once again to save the farm for the tenant farmers, the Holliday family.

On the Crowd Justice page, the group said the decision was passed controversially and results in the loss of livelihood, home of the farming family, but also a beautiful landscape for residents and visitors to the Island.

The campaign says its aim is to raise money for their fight, enabling 'ordinary working residents to have access to lawyers to match the lawyers of developers and landowners'.

The campaign also wishes to develop a full legal case and have a legal team in place to launch a bid for a judicial review when the time comes.

• 'Gagged over Westridge Farm' says IW planning committee chair

The money would also support the Holliday family fight to defend their agricultural tenancy and work towards establishing a community farm.

Ryde Town Council has supported the farm, following a motion put forward by Cllr Sabine, in becoming a community farm and applying to become an asset of community value.

• Westridge Farm applies to be community asset to save it from developers

At the meeting, Cllr Sabine said she understood the Island needs houses but they needed to be built somewhere else and not on the farming land.

Speaking at the Isle of Wight Council planning committee meeting last month, Ben Gard, the council's legal officer, said the authority was aware of a letter being sent from concerned residents but that did not mean legal proceedings had started.

At the same meeting, two councillors left the chamber after minutes of the meeting approving the Westridge Farm planning application were approved, after they suggested delaying approval until any legal proceedings had been dealt with.

• Councillors walk out of planning meeting

More information on the funding campaign can be found here: crowdjustice.com/case/save-westridge-farm