Having won a government commitment to make significant reforms to the planning system, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely is now working to make sure the new plans work for communities on the ground.
Following a successful campaign led by Mr Seely, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, has announced new measures to place local communities at the heart of the planning system.
Concessions won include 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, introducing new penalties for slow developers failing to build already-approved homes and bringing in new powers for local authorities to promote brownfield development.
Following these commitments, the Government launched a consultation on its approach to updating the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – a document that sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these should be applied – which lasted until 2nd March 2023.
Mr Seely said:
“Last year we campaigned for government to make significant improvements to our planning system to make it work better for our communities. I’m delighted that government listened and is willing to make changes.
“Now, we must make sure those changes work on the ground – so we need to focus on the detail now being presented. That’s why I have submitted a detailed response to the NPPF consultation to make sure that it works for the Island and other rural communities.”
In his consultation response, Mr Seely welcomed many of the changes including housing targets now being advisory – not mandatory and that priority will now be given to brownfield development over greenfield – two things he vigorously campaigned for. He said:
“High housing targets make it hard for local councillors to turn down bad development proposals.
“Of course, we need new homes, but we need to ensure the right type of homes are built in the right places and that these are spread fairly between different areas and not all crammed into the crowded south of England.
“We need to adopt a ‘brownfield first’ approach and bring communities with us.”
He also supported the principle of a new character test in the planning system allowing councils and inspectors to consider the poor previous conduct of developers.
The revised NPPF is expected to be published in Spring 2023.
All very pretty on paper I’m sure. However if you have a local authority with a hopelessly useless planning department then it all rather fails doesn’t it?
I don’t usually have a lot of good to say about Seely, but he’s right when he says that the unrealistic housing targets pretty much ties the council’s hands with what they can approve or reject.
What the Island needs is affordable and social housing. What we are mostly getting are large detached homes and retirement bungalows. The problem is that there is no profit in selling affordable homes to islanders, so they build expensive homes and market them on the mainland.
And the Council and planners have no choice but to approve them because they get hit with penalties if the targets aren’t met.
Lets hope something comes of this and it isn’t just another Seely Soundbite. It would certainly be a first.
What the island needs is appropriate wages for the year 2023. Local employers are paying people wages from the 1980s. Plenty of profit is being made on the island but local employers are not sharing the wealth. However, average house prices here are still lower than the national average and there are plenty of affordable houses on the market. If you can’t afford a house in your preferred area, then you should lower your expectations or get a better paid job.That is only logical.
You aren’t making any sense. First you say that “ Local employers are paying people wages from the 1980s”, then you tell people to get a better paid job.
Make your mind up.
Get a better paid job somewhere else obviously. You are allowed to leave the island to improve your circumstances. A reduction in the available work force would also drive up wages based on simple supply and demand.
Many local employers cream off mainland rates, but pay their employees
low Island rates of pay.
You won’t see a poor owner of a local business, they will tell you they are
not doing well.
All a load of greedy money grabbing uncaring employers.
Get a better job by leaving the island. You don’t have to stay 😉
You make it sound so simple… ie: get a better paying job.. great idea, but where can one find a better paying job on this Island? NONE… So people have to commute to mainland… but Oh Noo they have to pay huge amounts for ferry.. Pretty difficult to decide, work for more money on mainland, and give half to ferry companies.. and also get a poor attendance notice, due to cancelled ferries.. late ferries or no ferry.. so stuck on island , mundane job on basic wage… with zero hour contract !!
You could always move to the mainland or get a remote job.
There is a world of opportunities out there. Like so many people, I grew up in a dump with no opportunities, and like many, I left, worked hard, and found a much better life. I have no sympathy for people who moan about how hard there life is and then do nothing about it. The island has low paid jobs and that is unlikely to change. So you can stay and suck it up or leave and try to better yourself. But don’t moan if you aren’t prepared to help yourself.
It’s a sounbite … distraction Re election coming soon no news here
So why isn’t the Isle of Wight council building social housing through it’s own company?
Building more properties for the people on the Isle of Wight, NOT for mainlanders to swoop in . buy them up and put them up for rent at unaffordable rates.. The rent board, ( if there is one ) needs to have a review of the rental prices. I rent a small flat, the rent has just increased, to similar price of renting a one or two bed house.. I would move if there were any of those available. Rent prices are soaring, I think it is all to do with the mainland prices, or the estate agents, maybe they tell a landlord that they could get x amount, if they hold out…. !! So other landlords see that price as a guideline.. Not that it is what it is worth. Then the Thousand plus just for deposit…which many do not get returned.. complete rip off.
Ban all Private buildings from being built,
only allow affordable housing to be built from now on.
There are enough empty private properties that are up for sale on the
Island.
Sorry but do we now live in Soviet Russia? I must have missed something.
‘Wouldn’t it be nice’ as the Beach Boys used to sing – if permissions could be revoked on schemes that do not provide any affordable housing; permissions based on anecdotal claims of local need; permissions based on the redundant ‘tilted balance’; permissions given in lieu of land for an undeliverable Greenway cycle track. . . Oh and while we’re on the subject what about permissions for plug-ugly Captiva type housing estates.
Leave the BBC alone or it will be your downfall
What about this for a good idea? Let’s take Mr. Seeley’s expenses claim for last year and split it between all of the community groups he’d love to help.
£210,000 divided by 365 equates to around £575 per day. Surely that would help out a little bit?
I don’t know what you get for £575 per day but I’ll wager it’s more than half a sausage.
Won’t this be a little bit of an own-goal?? SO a couple with a holiday home right now pay 100% on each BUT if one registers at one home and another at the second home then BOTH properties get a 25% discount. SO instead of IWC making 200% on a property they now make 75%, 25% less than before the rules. Hmmm…….
what about the appauling past performance of the whole Town and Country Planning system and it’s operatives which has resulted in a huge undersupply of housing resulting in unaffordable homes to either purchase or rent. It’s not the developers who are witholding on housing – it’s the planning system itself – Town and Country Planning – the clue is in the name !.