Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has been continuing his campaign against the draft Island Planning Strategy, with the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils (IWALC).
Bob was invited to attend a workshop to provide representatives from IWALC – who represent the interests of town and parish councils across the Island – with feedback he has received from residents so far.
Representatives from the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, Southern Water and the Isle of Wight Council housing and planning departments, along with the MP, formed a panel to answer questions from IWALC members.
IWALC agreed to hold a workshop on housing and the Island Plan to support the MP’s campaign. The workshop took the form of advance questions being submitted from town and parish councils to the panellists.
It was the latest in a series of meetings Bob is holding across the Island to raise awareness of the 9,600 houses due to be built across the Island in the next 15 years under the emerging Island Plan.
Over 6,500 people have now signed or taken part in Bob’s Island Plan survey or petition.
The purpose of the meeting was to help gather evidence to help Mr Seely fight the Island’s case in Westminster, consider exceptional circumstances applying to the Island, and seek reassurances from the IW Council that the Island Planning Strategy was being reshaped.
Bob said:
“I am grateful to the IWALC members for attending the meeting, and for their questions and feedback. I am hearing the message loud and clear that we need affordable homes for our young people on brownfield sites and I am passing that message on to the IW Council.
“We do not have the infrastructure to cope with the level of housing proposed. Residents are already struggling to get GP appointments and dentists. This needs to be addressed.
“We need to present our case to the Government pleading exceptional circumstances, which we are legally entitled to do.
“I welcome invitations from Island towns and villages wishing to discuss the proposals in their area and I urge everyone to sign my petition and write to their local councillor and make as much noise about the issue as possible.”
Bob’s survey and petition against the housing targets can be found at http://islandvision.uk/Islandplan/.
This move, with the ‘Rural England’ report and the IW Councils recent realisation of silly housing targets, SHOULD herald a period of more realistic controls on the speculative developments already underway and applications about to be considered.
I have to wait at least 10 weeks for each appointment, so by the time I get my mobility boots made it has taken about 5 to 6 months.
What is it going to be like when all these homes are built.
Everything is already pushed beyond the max, its insane.