The Isle of Wight will be forced to build more houses because it has not built enough to meet Government targets.
Between April 2018 and March 2021, the Isle of Wight was required to build 1,749 houses, but even with a reduced target — due to COVID-19 — the Island fell well short. In that 3-year time frame, only 1,019 homes were built — or 58% of the target.
It means the number of new houses required for 2022 increased by a further 20%.
The Island is in a precarious situation, due to the lack of house-building, as 2,000 people are understood to be on the housing register, in the most in need groups.
Failing to meet the housing target forces the Island under the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’, or tilted balance. It means unless there is something majorly wrong with an application, the Isle of Wight Council must approve it.
In 2021, 458 homes should have been built on the Isle of Wight but only 411 were. While it was more than in the previous 4 years, it was still not enough.
House building on the Island has continually decreased in the last few years, with fewer homes built in 2020 (253) than in 2016 (324).
The government-set target is something the council is trying to fight in its draft Island Planning Strategy. Through the strategy, the council argues its case for fewer houses, which would in turn help the Island meet its target and take the authority out of the tilted balance.
There are also increased calls to build on brownfield sites. In the draft Island Planning Strategy, the authority says there are not enough brownfield sites to meet the need. There are approximately 60 hectares on the brownfield register, with capacity for around 1,500 homes — of which 600 already have planning permission.
In its latest budget, the Isle of Wight Council approved £40 million of borrowing to build houses and start its own housing company to address the Island’s housing crisis.
Where is Bob Seely ?????
The majority of houses being built are not affordable housing!!!!
Surely there has to come a point where the Government should Realise we don’t have the infrastructure or services to cope now !!!!
How on earth will our Hospital Doctors Dentists (of which we are in short supply) cope ?????
Come on Bob tell them like it is !
No building on Greenfield sites ….
No posh house’s….
We don’t want to live in a concrete jungle !!!!!!!
There will be no tourism because no one will want to see the concrete jungle jigsaw !!!!!!
The planners keep approving planning applications but the developers are not building them they just keep taking it back to the planners with adjustments which gives them another 3years to sit on the land. Pennyfeathers is the perfect example, how many times has that been back to the planning office and still not one house built. It is the system which needs fixing.
The IOW councils own building company? God help us. So the 2000 houses being built in Ryde alone is not enough??????
Party and brewery comes to mind. If our council are involved.
What we need is a permanent inspectorate taking control of planning so plans are being passed or a consultative approach to allow an amendment driven approach. Local town plans showing good urban design. There are so many brownfield sites and infill plots to build on before you need to touch the countryside.
Why does this 2,000+ council register figure never go down?
If the council only approved housing for the ‘in need’ group, they could clear this in a couple of years. But it doesn’t, and won’t go down until they change their approach with developers.
If it hasn’t escaped council / government attention, the iow has fixed boundaries unlike the mainland which is sprawling. Building this number of homes year on year isn’t sustainable for a small island.
“The iow has fixed boundaries unlike the mainland” The mainland UK is an island too.
I expect that local people could not afford the prices. A lot of mainlanders are buying second homes on the island.
Yes indeed. This is exactly why all this is bullsh*t. Islanders must be given priority over mainland buyers, but this does not happen and it’s so wrong.
The homes that are passed by the planning dept, MUST be affordable for island residents who are currently recorded and described as homeless. Get these people out of B&Bs or wherever they reside and into their own homes. Stop building and selling to mainland buyers just for profit. Sort this out Bob!
There are 3200 second homes on this island that’s what need to be stopped it’s greedy people that live here need homes
Seaview springs to mind.Ghost town through winter,Corporate drones abundance in summer.
Well said Me me – it is that completely selfish attitude which is helping to ruin our Island.
What does the ‘ Government ‘ know about this Island !! When has Boris come over… if he has or does, how much did his ferry ticket cost.. was there a ferry…
Truthfully, Boris Johnson doesn’t have a clue about ANYTHING! Why would he want to come to this small, poor, drug infested island when he’s nice and cosy, living for free in Downing Street and spending his weekends at Chequers in the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside?
As the Government has also failed to meet its projected targets on curbing newcomers to the UK then what right have they to insist on the ruination of our countryside?
The council should refuse to comply as I doubt Boris will arrive on the island with a trowel in hand.
Yet me thinks the council are happy to gain more homes and therefore more council tax to then be able to take more from an engorged pot.
What is the point of building all these homes when the majority can’t afford to buy them
This is what happens to an Island full of Nimby’s, it’s come back to haunt us.
So true, so true. A friend has just moved to the mainland as he can not find a house to rent at a reasonable price on the island. Has had too move his business letting down several customers. All because the NIMBY lot want to make the island like the 1970’s.
It’s not just the Island, rental prices are high in lots of places.
What a great idea a ‘Council House’ stock, bet that hasn’t been tried before!
Dont want anymore barrat homes estates I’ve had enough of house building and we simply don’t have the infrastructure to cope.
Or the Hospital/G.P. capacity
‘Barrett’…”We Bring The Doorstep To Your Countryside” purveyors par excellence of flimsy,characterless,orange-eye-sores,coming to an ancient field near you.
Clearly some buffoon in london needs educating – the island won’t be forced to do anything – we just pick up the phone and say no, go away, you do not live here, you will not suffer the congestion, the pollution, the lack of services, the queues at the hospital, the lack of dentists, the lack of school places, the lack of GP etc, what gives you the right to wreck our quality of life.
stop importing the worlds sad cases to the uk and the island and then there won’t be any issue, will there.
the isle of wight simply does not need t build any more house
The bloody Tory Toffs don’t give a sh*t about ruining the island. It’s all about numbers. Everyone knows our infrastructure won’t cope.
They won’t be happy until their numbers are met and the island becomes a concrete jungle.
You can always rely on the Tories to mess everything up, especially Boris the bafoon!
We are full, just like our roads, schools, GP Surgeries, dentists & hospital! No to more homes!
It is about time that the IW council (whom are supposed to represent US the PEOPLE) started to stand up to the Government.
Unfortunately, this will never happen.
Old people, stop voting Tory.
Young people, stop voting labour.
Vote ting vote tong, ting tong.
IW independent Party.
There is nothing stopping us, from being more like the channel Islands, and the isle of Man.
F THE MAINLAND AND LONDON !
This council and government are just a joke.
We may need more houses, but the ones being built are NOT affordable for the majority of Island people and i don’t suppose the council built ones will be affordable to the majority of island people.
They want more houses for the tax and nothing else.
Yet they have NO plans to increase the doctors, dentists, etc at all.
we need more houses now.
NO we need less immigrants coming to the UK who then make areas they settle enmass unacceptable for the indigenous who flee to the Island to add to our woes.
See the real problem it is not just coincidence that since mass migration that the Island has become far far more populated
This is what happens when you pander to the vocal minority NIMBY crowed. Strangle all life out of the island.
There probably is a need for a lot more houses – but in cities and large towns, not semi rural areas such as the IoW. There simply isn’t enough jobs here for all these people, and neither is there enough infrastructure to cope with them. PLEASE stop and think for a moment and use some common sense.
Before this, we need Doctors, dentist’s with more capacity and services at St Mary’s.
I wonder if they have this sort of problem in Cornwall ?
Probably not, as all the second home owners there, are the liberal elite from North London.
Whom have a special interest in that local area, as it affects them personally. So they throw money at the problem.. This then keeps the natives quiet.
It seems to me, that the island is treated, as just another district of Portsmouth.
Why can’t we, ask to become a national park, such as places like the New Forest etc.
Don’t ask, Don’t get.
Do your job Bob.
Oh f*CK off Boris. Leave the island alone. It’s slowly being spoilt. Bloody Boris with his build, build, build statement. Our little island infrastructure can’t cope. Bob Seely, you need to get this message across to all the Tory Toffs in Westminster and quick!
The central government dictated figure is driven by the relentless mass uncontrolled immigration we have had for the last 25 years adding 10 million to the population – at 350,000 new arrivals still coming each year they need to build approx 100,000 new properties just for these people (who will always be most in need) before any indigenous folk get a look in. There are a lot of 2nd homes or holiday homes here because this is a holiday island, but a lot of the other moves are displacements as people come from the mainland to escape the massive concrete jungles springing up in the own areas
You are joking, look at the planning they want permission to build 50 houses this week alone ? Is that on top of the . . . . . . ! 2,000 that’s already going to be built in Ryde !!!!!!