Latest News
Housing Update – August 2026
Introduction
Yarmouth Town Council (YTC) has conducted two local housing needs surveys over the past six years. They can be read here: survey 2020 and survey 2025. There appears to be a demonstrable need for more social and/or affordable housing in this area.
YTC believes that it is important that the community is kept abreast of any current developments, hence this August update. The council will do its best to inform and to help co-ordinate groups and initiatives where it can.
Mill Road Cottages
Yarmouth Town Trust (YTT) owns five terraced cottages in Mill Road, which have traditionally been offered at below-market rents to members of the local community.
Earlier this year, the Trust placed one vacant property, No. 9 Mill Road, on the market, explaining that the increasing cost of maintaining the ageing properties, would make them financially difficult to retain.
The Trust indicated that the remaining cottages may also be sold as they become available. Existing tenants have been given the solid assurance that they will not be evicted at any stage.
The Trust has stated that its longer-term intention is to use the capital raised from property sales to fund the construction of modern replacement homes in Yarmouth. A timescale or potential sites are yet to be identified.
More recently, there has been an indication that No. 9 Mill Road may be returned to the rental market, reflecting the current difficulties in selling property.
Old School Site – Mill Road
When the Isle of Wight Council (IWC) sold the former school site in 2025 to the Yarmouth Community Foundation (YCF), it retained an area of land in Mill Road intended for future housing development.
This initiative is being progressed by the Yarmouth Community Led Housing Group (YCLHG), a consortium established during the school site sale process as part of the then Town Council’s bid.
The group is currently working with, and supported by, Isle of Wight Council (IWC) officers to explore the delivery of affordable housing, including potential social housing provision.
Pre-planning work is underway, with ecological and flood-risk assessments expected shortly.
The group is due to meet shortly to consider whether it is ready to proceed to the planning stage.
Fire Station Site
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has indicated its intention to relocate from its Heytesbury Road premises, and the site is likely to be sold.
The site could potentially provide an opportunity for housing, although this may be constrained by demolition costs and the proximity of an electrical substation.
Despite several requests by YTC, there is currently no information regarding when the site may become available.
If any member of the community wishes to make a comment or ask a question in relation to the above, please contact by email to clerk@yarmouth-tc.gov.uk
Dog Fouling – April 2026
Not a very pleasant subject but certainly an issue for Yarmouth. To help tackle the problem, the council asked local school children in Yarmouth, Freshwater and Shalfleet to enter a competition to design posters for a campaign. From one hundred entries five were chosen which are now displayed around Yarmouth and Freshwater. The purpose is to raise awareness of the problem and to encourage dog owners to always carry poo-bags, pick it up and either bin it or take it home. Bags can be placed in the red dog bins (preferably) or in black bins, or in the general waste at home.
Most dog owners are responsible and care about their community but for the few that forget to take bags or don’t keep an eye on their pets, please, please pick it up! Future incidents of fouling will be highlighted to reinforce the message