What is going on with our Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership?
We are increasingly concerned at the inconsistencies and contradictions in their comments, especially on three recent planning applications.
They have failed to object to an application for 32 'eco pods' at Tapnell Farm. In reality these 'eco pods' are oblong shipping containers with some cladding which will be less than 200m from the AONB.
In 2019 however, the IW AONB objected to the retention of just five glamping domes because they were 'alien and incongruous' and would be less than 200m from the AONB.
They concluded that they ... [would] "cause harm to the landscape character and the setting of a nationally designated landscape which arguably is what draws visitors to the area.
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"Any identified harm to this asset should be avoided to maintain our most finest landscapes and our high quality environment."
Now they have failed to object to the proposed 100 acre extension of the existing solar farm in West Wight which would be just 30m from the AONB and which would be highly visible from the downs.
In 2012 when the first 35 acre solar farm was proposed, they asked for confirmation that it would not be extended but now say "whilst the AONB Partnership may have previously raised concerns at the possibility of an enlargement to the existing solar farm, each application has to be assessed on its own merits and these comments form this current assessment."
We are perplexed by their 'assessment' and why they were 'concerned' about enlargement previously but not now, particularly given that even the developer (Low Carbon) admits: “It is considered that the proposed development has the potential to result in significant effects on landscape and visual amenity", and "Once operational, the proposed development would result in significant change to the landscape character of the site".
Why are shipping containers and solar panels not alien and incongruous?
Why would they not cause harm to our nationally designated and most finest of landscapes?
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