VNP

Assessment

The Isle of Wight lies off shore separated from mainland England by the Solent. The island is largely un-spoilt, rural and with a relatively small population of 130,000. The island is littered with quaint little villages of thatched cottages with a road network to match. Employment is mostly seasonal with some light industry.
Many say the island has a slower pace of life than the mainland. This to my mind is one of the island's biggest assets as the majority of visitors to the island are middle aged and above and can enjoy the peace and quiet life which is virtually extinct on mainland England. That’s not to say the young have no place on the island as Ryde and Sandown largely cater for the younger holiday maker. Of course we cannot end this short summary without mentioning Cowes and the yachting fraternity who see the island as a yachting Mecca.
The above sounds idyllic and it is, but all we enjoy and hold sacred could be lost by massive development and mass development is planned. The Island Council are about to unveil plans for AT LEAST 10,400 houses to be built in the next twenty years.
Let’s be clear about this level of housing equates to an average rate of 520 houses a year, every year for the next twenty years. It would be folly to think that the house requirement will stop after twenty years and there is even the possibility that house building target may be upgraded during this period.
Without a doubt the Council’s decision to build is influenced by Central Government. There is also suggestion that not all of these new houses are for islanders, indeed there is very little demand for such massive house building to fill local need. Massive building rather than ease a housing will push up property prices making harder for locals to buy homes on the island.
So if much of this housing is to re-house people from the mainland then we must be looking at an increase of the present population by a quarter. This will also mean a possible increase of traffic with another 15,000 cars.
This begs the question:
1) Where are all these houses going to go?
2) How will our badly maintained roads cope with the increase of traffic?
3) How are we to provide employment for sudden increase in population?
4) Can our hospital and health services cope?
5) Will ferry services cope?
6) Will the police, fire and emergency services manage?
The houses will have to be built on green belt; there isn’t anywhere else for them to go. This means possibly two new towns the size of Ryde. Our roads are not up to a standard that can cope with a huge increase in traffic. New wider roads will have to be built to service two new towns creating further destruction of green belt land.
There isn't the means to employ another 40,000 people without several new Industrial Estates, more destruction of land.
Our hospital can barely meet present demands without further strain on the system. The fire and ambulance services will be stretched to breaking point.
Crime will inevitably increase substantially.
The ferries wouldn’t cope with the increased population, especially as most won’t be islanders and will need to keep contact with the mainland. Many will have to be employed on the mainland as there won’t be sufficient work here.
All this will lead to a call for a bridge to the mainland which could be forced on us. The Isle of Sheppey has recently opened a new bridge paving the way for mass development, do we want this here?
The council suggests all new housing will have to meet the islands economic objectives. I beg the question how can the council be committed to building 520 houses a year and know what the economic objectives are in advance?
A new bridge will spell the death knell for the Isle of Wight which will become an overspill area for the South of England making way for an increase in urban housing on a scale that will quickly destroy the culture and character of the island forever.
The island will be used to fill the insatiable and ever growing need for housing in the South Eastern corner of England. Is this what we want?
Can anything be done to keep our island culture and way of life?