A critical decision on the development of Isle of Wight planning policy, relating to the planned number of new homes, will be made at County Hall this evening (Wednesday).
In an Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council, councillors will decide whether to amend the Isle of Wight’s new local plan, the Draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS), in light of a letter from the government’s Planning Inspectorate.
The Planning Inspectorate made several recommendations to the council relating to the draft IPS, including increasing its planned number of new homes from 453 per year to 703 annually.
A council report prepared in advance of tomorrow’s meeting says:
“A new local plan, the draft IPS, has been prepared to replace the Island Plan Core Strategy 2012.
“Previously full council agreed to consult on it and then submit it to the Secretary of State for independent, public examination. Over a period of two weeks between 25th February and 6th March, the examination hearing sessions took place.
“On 22nd April, the inspectors’ Post Hearings Letter was sent to the council. In their letter, the planning inspectors set out a number of areas of work that they consider it would be necessary for the council to carry out should it wish to continue.”
The report sets out 2 options: amend the draft IPS in the way inspectors have suggested to address their concerns or withdraw the plan and start afresh.
Withdrawing the draft IPS and putting together a new local plan according to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) would mean planning for a higher number of new homes per year.
A new plan would use the ‘current government standard method housing number of 1,104 new homes per year as a starting point’, the report states. Officers have recommended councillors pursue option A: amending the draft to take on board the inspectors’ suggestions.
The Planning Inspectorate’s letter to the council has provoked contrasting responses from the Isle of Wight’s MPs.
Joe Robertson, the Conservative Isle of Wight East MP, said:
“The IPS underwent a lengthy consultation process locally, and our council submitted a version that garnered the widest possible local support.
“To be now told by the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol that we need to nearly double our annual housing target to 703 contradicts local democracy and is completely impractical.
“My bigger concern is that the government intends to establish a Combined Mayor with Hampshire, which could strip our council of its powers regarding planning strategy and push for an even larger annual housing target of over 1,000 homes.
“This poses a significant threat to the natural beauty of our Island and the independence of our local decision-making powers. That is why I am saying no to a Hampshire-based mayor without Island residents having a say first.”
Richard Quigley, the Labour MP for Isle of Wight West said:
“As ever, the devil is in the detail and not the headlines. Whilst the current plan has not been accepted by government inspectors, the increase in planning target of 250 to 703 annually actually translates to an increase of 394 homes over the full term of the Island Plan.
“This equates to around an extra 33 homes a year. This is thanks to the hard work the planners have already put into the existing plan and creating a planning pipeline for the homes desperately needed by Islanders.
“We are all fully aware of the lack of affordable and social homes on the Island; Approximately 2,400 households are on the current housing waiting list. We can’t continue to pretend we don’t need to build more homes.”
Councillor Ed Blake, Conservative Group Leader, says:
“The majority of the alterations to the submitted strategy suggested by the Planning Inspectors are perfectly acceptable, all except one – the over doubling of the proposed house building targets from 343 a year to 703 is wholly irrational.
“If the Council decides to reject the proposal from the Inspectors, the suggestion from Government is that the Island will be imposed with a target of 1104 a year under the Standard Method of calculation.
“We must stand up to the Government to defend the Island against illogical proposals which we would not be able to deliver upon.”
Councillor Chris Quirk points to the inability of the Island to facilitate the large amount of house building proposed:
“Whilst we need to be building more houses to suit our local need, like homes for social rent and starter homes for our younger residents, the 703 target is totally unachievable; let alone the 1104 figure suggested in Option B.
“The procurement of building materials and builders on the Island is a limitation as well as the effects that housing an extra ten to fifteen thousand people in 5 years would have on our hospital, local amenities and roads.”
Full council will meet at County Hall at 18:00 tonight.
When are they building another hospital to cope with the
extra demand.
If they keep building at the rate they say, the island will be
gridlocked, there is poor infrastructure on the island.
I am waiting for the island to introduce a congestion charge
that will be next!
Khan is charging £18 a day from Jan 26, not to mention the
ULEZ charge!
Whatever happened to the 40 new Hospitals Bojo was going
to have built, maybe he was thinking about how many children
tol have. I read he has 9 or 11, the numbers vary on the web.
Politicians etc keep saying one thing, but nothing ever
gets done, then a new party takes over and for 5 years they
blame the previous party, so nothing gets done yet again!
NO MORE new homes on the Isle of Wight.
All the while young people leave the island because; a) there is no university here and b) not many work opportunities and c) the island has a predominantly elderly population perhaps, the council should look at building what is needed: small one bedroom bungalows and new, good care homes.
One bedroom bungalows and 1 bedroom houses would
be nice and decent care homes too.
I am not too sure about the need for a university on
the island though.
Richard Quiggly you need to go to specsavers! There are so many run down properties that could be compulsory purchases and turned into apartments, easily housing all 1500 people on the waiting list. We certainly do not need more building.
A new wildlife and nature strategy has just been published for the island. More building means less wildlife habitat, something the government is trying to protect.
Get your head out of Starmer’s back-side and look at the bigger picture. A brain cell might help!
There are loads of abandoned properties available on
the island.
Exactly my point.