Mandatory housing targets have been scrapped by the Government this week, which has been hailed ‘another win for the Island’ by local MP Bob Seely.
Mr Seely, who has been campaigning for a change in planning rules since his election in 2017, has consistently opposed plans for greenfield development on the Island, arguing that brownfield sites should be prioritised over greenfield and that government-set housing targets should be advisory, not mandatory.
He had also argued that targets were not evenly distributed across the country, that existing planning laws gave more power to developers than local councils and that councils needed to be given more powers for compulsory purchase.
Stepping up his campaign to change existing planning laws through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, Mr Seely teamed up with former environment minister Theresa Villiers to work up some amendments to the Bill to ensure the planning system was more community-led. Together their ideas gained the backing of around 100 Conservative MPs putting pressure on the government to act.
This week, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has set out new measures to be introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. This includes placing local communities at the heart of the planning system including strengthening the government’s commitment to build enough of the right homes in the right places with the right infrastructure, making housing targets a ‘starting point’ with new flexibilities to reflect local circumstances and introducing new penalties for slow developers failing to build already-approved homes.
Mr Gove has also announced the Government will be bringing in new powers for local authorities to promote brownfield development. The government has also committed to launching a consultation on whether planning permission should be required for new short-term lets such as Air BnBs, especially in tourist hotspots, as well as introducing a registration scheme for holiday lets.
Importantly for the Isle of Wight, there are plans to ensure valued landscapes – such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty – remain protected through robust national and local planning policies.
On the flip side, onshore wind turbines are back on the table with a relaxation of the rules. New wind farms would still be subject to local approval though.
Speaking about this week’s announcement, Bob Seely said:
“I am delighted that the government has agreed to amend planning laws to put communities first. The changes we will see will mean the Isle of Wight Council will be able to take more action to compulsory purchase long-term vacant or derelict buildings, housing targets will be advisory instead of mandatory, brownfield land will be prioritised over greenfield, developers who sit on land with planning permission will potentially face financial penalties for doing so and the government will enable councils to crack down on cowboy developers. Many of these new ideas will be in policy documents by the end of this month.
“For too long developers have had too much power and control over the system. Local communities are best placed to know where new housing should be built, and how many new homes are needed. The top-down approach has not been working on the Island which is why it has been so hard to agree a new Island Plan. Now, our council will be able to work together with Island communities to give permissions that will ensure the right homes are built in the right places. This is another win for the Island”.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will continue its passage through Parliament shortly.
A lot of waffle, but in reality nothing will change. Not while we have the brown envelopes being dished out like sweets. Developers on local parish councils will see that they get there own ways. Just wait and see how many “hutches” will be in planning by next summer. Loads.
On the face of it, all sounds a more positive move, yet the devil is in the detail as always.
Tbh, I doubt it will make much difference to the terrible and destructive amount of building on the Island, and with forcing building to happen to those holding land with permission, could increase such.
Asking the public what they want, seems good, BUT the surveys sent out, as we had in Bembridge ask each household what they ‘expect’ they will need in the coming years, ie one bed flat, two bed house etc.
But doesn’t mean any developer has to adhere to such, and they will build what ‘they’ max profit on, and ONLY quote from the public’s ‘wish list’ WHEN or IF it coincides with their max profit builds.
For a change, well done Bob. I wonder if there will be a flurry of brown envelopes flying around the council before things settle to new guidance advice. Yes it only is advice. The planners reactions will be interesting.
Young people on the island do need somewhere to call their own, with truly affordable housing built on sites near to possible work opportunities, Not in the middle of no ware. Could this happen ???
I like the term zero development, if we could ever have such a thing.
Nothing will change, already there are loopholes being looked into.
It would be a further positive if permissions could be revoked on schemes that do not provide any affordable housing; permissions based on anecdotal claims of local need and permissions based on the soon to be redundant ‘tilted balance’.
I wonder if this is why the Captiva mob got a bit jittery last week and started sticking their shovels in the ground in Godshill.
Bembridge has had a digger rip the Hedge out and install power to the new transformer.
But as always developers will get around any obstacles as, like the Fox Hunting ban, the elite never wanted it banned, so it is left to the hunt to decide what the hounds tear apart.
So where a field can increase multiple times in value at the stroke of a pen by planning, do you not think that ways and means will be found to counteract any weak rules and laws, and by pretending the ‘public’ have a say, is laughable.
As said ONLY if it were to coincide with what developers, and the council were going to do ‘anyway’ will it be mentioned or adhered too.
I wonder if Bob really thinks he has helped or knows it is just guff to justify being an MP
Development and developers will always win, the IW is a developers dream, little or no problem pushing their applications through .. the IWC roll over for a tummy tickle.
Perfect!
Let the nimbys make the decisions that spend two weeks a year in there island retreat.
Or the ovener who knows what’s best for the island, like over half of the council.
we need homes for first time buyers and with the cost of materials and land there is no such thing as an affordable home.
lets just stop people from the mainland moving here, driving up house prices and out bidding the hard working islander who has saved every penny possible to TRY and get a foot on the ladder.
Or why not make people from the mainland pay 10% of the of the purchase cost to the council, this money could then pay for land which could be made affordable for island first time buyers to build their own.
In general it’s good news but too little and too late for the mass of planned developments in Ryde all on greenfield sites (Pennyfeathers, Rosemarys Vineyard, Westridge Farm and more) and the exponential growth in traffic pollution and further infrastructure pressures as a result. How many of these will end up being truly for island people in need?
How did the development at Gunville get passed then ? Why here ? Lies apon bloody lies ,
Congratulations Bob !
To little to late the iow is no longer the diamond of the south