ANOTHER 1,700 homes could be built — in completely new Isle of Wight villages — in addition to the 10,000 proposed in the Island Plan.

The draft Island Plan sets out proposals for 9,676 new homes over the next 15 years, most of which would be built on greenfield sites and mainly around existing settlements.

However, it also includes the potential for 2,000 homes in new 'garden community' villages — 1,700 of which would be on top of the 9,676 total.

Two sites have been highlighted as potentially accommodating these new villages — one near Wellow and the other near Godshill.

However, they could all be built on one site, creating a substantial new village comparable to the size of Bembridge.

Last week, the Isle of Wight Campaign to Protect Rural England raised fears the proposed new homes would destroy acres of countryside and urbanise large tracts of rural Isle of Wight.

This week, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said the house building target for the Island should be slashed and the Isle of Wight should be treated as a special case.

The draft Island Plan says the new garden communities should be vibrant, healthy and sustainable and sets out principles planners should follow.

It says the new settlements should be 'holistically planned', delivering around 2,000 new dwellings in a mix of tenure, sizes and types.

It says the developments should enhance the natural environment and provide "strong cultural, recreational and shopping facilities at an appropriate scale in a walkable, vibrant, sociable community,' offering integrated transport systems favouring environmentally friendly travel and avoiding protected areas, flood zones and quality agricultural land.

A council spokesperson said the garden community proposals were in response to comments from residents saying they did not want more housing development on the edge of existing settlements.

The deadline for comments on the draft Island Plan consultation is Monday at noon. Comments can be made on the council's website.