Shaping a Sustainable Future

Island businesses and organisations have been involved in creating a new £13.6 million scheme including affordable housing, an outdoor education area, new green space, a rural business park, and a new brewery and visitor centre.

Nature and sustainability are at the heart of this flagship regeneration scheme which the various stakeholders and partners hope will serve as an exemplar for future development on the Isle of Wight.

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Biosphere is the living surface of our planet, made from the land, the sea, the air we breathe and energy from the Sun. In June 2019 the Isle of Wight achieved UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Status. This means that now the Island is recognised as one of the best places to explore people’s interaction with nature – any where in the world.

Biosphere

A state-of-the-art rural business centre of around 14,000 ft.² will be built at Branstone Farm. The various office spaces will be rented to new, growing and innovative businesses.

Business Park

The £13.6 million scheme includes the build of 42 residential houses including affordable housing. The living community will enjoy the local amenities, wildlife and Branstone’s own park.

Homes

Branstone park will be a quiet space for the Island community to enjoy and relax, creating a new rural area where the Biosphere principles of live, work and play can come to life. amongst the local wildlife, spotting the odd red squirrell or two.

Park

Our Partners

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The Story So Far

Martyn Pearl from Vectis Housing always had an interest in developing the Branstone site. The initial involvement was around Wild About The Wight which involved his community team who were located at the farm with other bodies including the Council’s AONB Team.
When Branstone Farm became surplus to the Council’s requirements it was offered to the market inviting expressions of interest for a variety of uses, in its entirety or in parts.
A feasibility study was carried out by Vectis Housing for a large part of the farm which brought together the biosphere, better housing, well being, and education together in a single community around a biodiversity park.
This would be connected to a new business park of around 14,000 ft.² which could provide new space for local business and innovation, with the proposal that this be delivered by a partnership between the Isle of Wight Council and the Chamber of Commerce.
At the same time Vectis Housing was registering its interest in a large part of the farm Goddard’s Brewery registered interest in the remainder for a new brewery and visitor centre.
Vectis Housing set up a stakeholder group to create liaison between all interested parties and those people that wanted to be taking part in the project to drive it forward for the community.
A professional team of consultants was appointed, mainly consultants from the Island, who have worked closely with the main partnership team including the Isle of Wight Council.
This is the first time that the Isle of Wight Council has worked in local partnership with the private sector in this way and this has proven to be a very fruitful experience for all.
The team has worked hard to secure funding approaching £4 million from Homes England and HM Government through the Solent LEP.
The business Park will consist of over 14 1/2 thousand square feet of space to be rented to businesses, managed by the Chamber of Commerce who will also relocate to the site.
Demolition of the existing farm buildings has completed and the first phase of the business park will come to fruition within next 18 months. It is hoped that the first phase of the housing will be ready in 12 to 18 months .