A BEMBRIDGE councillor has called for a reduction in the amount of housing proposed in the area for the next 15 years.

As part of the Isle of Wight Council's draft Island Plan, currently out for consultation, Bembridge is allocated to build 193 houses across multiple sites between 2023 and 2038.

Cllr Joe Robertson, ward representative for Bembridge, has said he is concerned at the uneven distribution of housing — with nearby neighbourhoods of Seaview and Nettlestone only allocated 17 homes and Brading and St Helens none.

Concerns and questions about the local infrastructure, environment, as well as other matters were put to council planning officers at a packed public meeting earlier in the month.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Following on from the public meeting, Cllr Robertson invited officers to visit the site along with members of Bembridge Parish Council (BPC).

He said: "The Bembridge sites that have been allocated in the draft plan are outside the current settlement boundary and are close to areas that saw severe flooding this summer.

"Twenty thousand litres of water were pumped out of the nearby pub in July and several houses suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage.

"Flooding and environmental impact are high on the list of residents’ concerns with these draft proposals."

BPC's chair Cllr Liz White said: “Bembridge is bound by sea on three sides and there are only two access roads.

"We are in many respects an island within an island.

"There is not the infrastructure to cope with further large-scale development."

BPC's deputy chair, Sir Paul Kenny said: "The draft proposals to build on this scale, in a village which already has serious infrastructure problems, are silent about the impact these developments will bring."

Cllr Robertson thanked officers for coming to Bembridge and engaging with an open mind.

He said he looked forward to making a strong case for Bembridge with the parish council.

MP Bob Seely will be attending a meeting at 7pm on September 27 in the Village Hall, supported by local group Build a Better Bembridge and open to the public.