Island Life Magazine Ltd February / March 2016 | Page 71
COUNTRY LIFE
In the
Country
Sam's tip for the countryside!
Don’t be complacent
by Sam Biles
Sam Biles is Managing Director
of country Estate Agents:
www.bilesandco.co.uk
T
he Island is often said to have low rates of burglaries
- don’t be complacent especially with remote country
property: install motion sensor lights, have noisy, crunchy
gravel paths & prickly bushes beneath ground floor
windows. Have visible window locks - and use them. Don’t
leave ladders or tools in accessible places. Fit timers to
indoor lamps. Be secure!
NIMBYs or IMBYs?
Sam Biles looks at the choices for the Island’s Planning System
T
he Island and the UK have
changed dramatically in the
last 30-40 years. Pubs and
Churches have declined in numbers
and congregations and the internet has
meant that shopping is often done by
clicking a mouse rather than driving into
Newport. High Streets have suffered
accordingly. Our schools are now
overseen from Hampshire, many village
Primary Schools have closed and the
Middle Schools have gone and the results
from our Secondary Schools often fare
badly compared to the rest of the country.
The ferry service is not what it was in
terms of late night sailings and frequency
of crossings. Austerity has bitten deep on
the Island and the Council is struggling to
maintain services. Planning restrictions
have been lessened in recent months
to allow redundant farm buildings to
come forward for development and sites
adjacent to Development Envelopes
probably stand more chance of success
than ever before.
So the Island has some difficult choices
to make. It must not ignore its core
qualities of beautiful countryside and
wonderful coastlines and these must
not be despoiled. Enough development
needs to come forward, however, to stop
villages fossilising and to make the rural
businesses, shops, pubs and schools
viable.
Councillors on Planning Committees
have a difficult task. Their Officers
make recommendations which should
be based on the Town & Country
Planning system and Government
guidelines. If Councillors, under
pressure from residents, go against
those recommendations and turn
down proposed developments which
are then won at Appeal then the cashstrapped Council can be landed with
the Applicant’s costs. In these situations
often a larger Scheme is approves than
would otherwise have been negotiated.
NIMBYism can cause problems for
communities, if all development is
objected to then there are no new family
homes and no new people to run clubs
or support the local economy.
The overly aged population on the
Island requires, by definition, more
services and support. It needs to be
balanced by younger families if the
burden of these s