Calls have been made to ‘get on’ with the Island’s crucial planning document as it has stalled again – after Councillors waited months for Government guidance which still hasn’t materialised.
The Draft Island Planning Strategy (DIPS) has been in the making for 6 years now, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in officers’ time.
Once it is approved, the DIPS will be the Island’s ‘planning bible’ – setting guidelines and targets for the Isle of Wight Council to follow.
It was last discussed by the authority in May when it was decided to wait for new Government legislation and policies, which have not yet come forward.
Cabinet member for planning, Councillor Paul Fuller gave an update to members of the regeneration and neighbourhoods scrutiny committee last week and said the DIPS had not moved on since May but the momentum was to now move forward and get the DIPS done.
Cllr Karl Love said the Council had failed and it should have nailed the plan ages ago, instead of going round and round with inter-party politics.
He said while the Island didn’t have a plan it was vulnerable to unwanted development and they just needed to get on and do it, as it was holding the Island back.
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans said without an Island Plan there is uncertainty for everyone and having invested so much there was a responsibility to carry the work through. She said it risked becoming the HS2 of the Isle of Wight.
It was hoped the draft plan will now come to January’s full Council meeting although Cllr Fuller said it would still have a couple of years to go before it comes to be a fully ratified and adopted plan.
The Council’s strategy has always been to not have a strategy. Why change?
Besides when Labour’s gets in, it will all change again.
They obviously don’t care about the island !!!!! Of which we already know….
But all the time the brown envelopes are appearing, and more council tax revenue in the pot ,they will drag their heels !!!!
Beggar the fact re infrastructure….
Waste of space ,smarmy smirking clowns ……
Interesting that without a current planning strategy developers can put in for planning consent and the council cannot object on the basis they have no planning strategy, I have seen many developers win planning refusals on this basis.
Have it on my desk by Friday you lazy buggers!
If it is going to take 2years to be ratified then they need to hold an emergency full council meeting now NOT in January, they have dragged their heels for far too long, an absolute disgrace.