Councillors will be presented with the new draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS) next Thursday (14th March), which lays out plans on how to deliver nearly 6,000 new homes over the next 13 years. It had been intended that the Draft IPS would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting in January this year. However, the Government published changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in late December which included a new footnote relating to islands and ‘exceptional circumstances’. The council decided to pause and seek specialist advice over the new NPPF and whether a different approach for the Draft IPS should be considered. The legal and demographic advice has now been received, and both are clear that the exceptional circumstances route does not guarantee a lower housing number and, in fact, could even mean a higher one. The advice supports the council moving forward with the Draft IPS as it gives the best and quickest chance to have a new plan in place and all the benefits and protections it would afford the Island. The Draft IPS sets out the overall approach towards future development on the Island and the policies to be used in assessing planning applications. The draft plan includes policies that mean that:
- affordable homes are even more affordable to Islanders
- more protection is given to the countryside
- new homes will be net zero carbon
The plan balances social, economic and environmental issues and fronts up to some difficult decisions such as planning for 453 homes per year until 2037 — although 2,358 of these homes across 44 different sites already have planning permission. By allocating just 24 more sites that don’t already have permission for the next 15 years, the plan can protect the Island from unwanted, speculative development, which is often on greenfield sites and rarely provides Island affordable homes. It is considered that the evidence base that underpins the Draft IPS provides clear justification for an overall housing number which is nearly 40% below the amount of housing the government expects the Island to deliver. The Draft IPS has already been discussed at the Policy and Scrutiny Committee and all of the changes recommended by that committee have been included. Cabinet approval is the next step in seeking overall councillor approval to move the draft plan to the next stage, where the council will publish the Draft IPS and open a 6-week window for people to make comments. Ollie Boulter, strategic manager for planning and infrastructure, says:
“A new Island Planning Strategy is absolutely vital when it comes to our ability to determine where development takes place on the Island. “Agreeing a new plan will give us the tools to tackle key issues affecting the Island and our residents such as the affordability of new homes, ensuring that permissions granted are built out and that new development contributes to the objectives of our Climate and Environment Strategy. “Whilst the NPPF has a new footnote relating to islands, no other changes have been made around exceptional circumstances and it remains the case that pursuing such a route is not simply about writing a lower housing number in the plan that will automatically make homes more affordable or accessible to Islanders. “Our specialist advice is clear – the robust evidence still required by government to support a case for exceptional circumstances is more likely to push our housing number up not down. The NPPF is explicit – demographics, market signals and past under delivery all have to be taken account of. By doing so the housing need figure for the Island cannot realistically be lower than that within the Draft IPS, which is already almost 40 per cent below what the government except us to deliver.”
Article continues below this advertisement
If the draft is approved by Full Council it will move through a rigorous statutory process set by national government with the local authority publishing the document and seeking public comments for a period of 6 weeks. After that, it will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities along with all the comments received, who will then appoint a planning inspector to hold public hearings and then produce a final report. Once this process is completed the council will have the opportunity to adopt the local plan based on the inspector’s recommendations.
I take it Ollie (planning strategy) Boulter wasn’t sat in on the Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday when Shalfleet was unceremoniously shat on.
If he was then “…protect the island from unwanted, speculative development, which is often on Greenfield sites” was just an empty platitude he was screaming into his snug fitting muffler! Tune in next month for some more comedy gold.
When people here start to understand that 300 (known) people arriving into the UK illegally daily, is a never ending thing, as they will breed quicker than we can house them, and they know that every full womb, once emptied on British soil ‘ensures’ a right to stay, then perhaps people will not be so supportive of these illegal thieves of our and our children’s rights, not theirs.
Just because atm fewer come directly to the Island, the effect of their never ending number filling the UK, then forces the indigenous people to move to places like the Island to escape towns they know longer fill at home in, or safe in, and so illegal immigration does have a huge effect on building here.
This problem needs sorting now.
Not never ending, it’s dropped massively in the last couple of years driven mainly by EU countries prompting peace negotiations leading to relative stability in their countries of origin. Right to remain is not a given; I know a British woman, here since a baby in 1972 of Italian parents who was told to leave because she entered the country on their passport. Then there’s all the Windrush folk.
Did you know ‘British’ soil used to include India, Oz, Canada, Bermuda, Jamaica, Zimbabwe…..when you talk of illegal thieves just remember that, and know that people like you come across as the problem most in need of sorting. Your xenophobic attitude is truly sickening.
So the Council are to waver the exceptional circumstances clause.
Presumably they are acting in the interest of themselves and their developer buddies, rather than fighting to protect this Island from utter ruination.
Alternatively does it mean they are incapable of presenting a robust case for exceptional circumstances.
Having watched some of the planning committee meetings on You Tube, it becomes very clear that the Planning Officers are not above lying or bending the rules.
The Council will seek public opinion on the published document Seemingly from past experience they will dismiss all opinions that do not match their own criteria!
It’s nothing more than going through the motions, and don’t we know it!
Before you all start squawking here are some stats.
31.8% of people here are renters, unable to afford to buy. People rarely migrate here to work (and rent) so are likely to be islanders.
67.6% of people are home owners.
That leaves 0.6% homeless. About 840 people. Those people need houses. They are our people.
Population increase since 2011 census in just 1.6% (2,200). We have one of the lowest population densities in UK.
There are 3000 homes registered as second homes, ie, non-islanders who reside here occasionally. It does not include tourist lets.
Stopping second home ownership in the future would certainly help, as would building on available land that we DO have. Compulsory purchase of empty properties too.
Your statement on population are incorect, since breixt the UK population has declined by just over a million, those that are considered homeless what percentage are intentionally homeless ,in hampshire the figure is over a third.You mention these are our people, please define, spoke to three in newport the other day from glasgow who came here because of the weather and begging prospects.They are scottish and they do not wish to part of the UK, so technically they are not our people. If all empty properties on the island even by the councils out of date figures are brought back into use the homeless figure would vanish, but heh lets spend millions on a new useless chain ferry, far more inportant.
I’m with you
Also there are almost 3000 properties for sale currently on site island, so 6000 more needed seems rather over the top. More building for buildings sake rather than required.
Certainly won’t be 6000 magically appearing jobs or school places etc
In answer Karen’s stats, since the 1990’s
We now have longer to wait for medical appointments and treatment
We’re less likely to be registered with a dentist
Average islanders wages have slipped further behind the mainland
While percentage wise travel costs have increased well beyond pay
Tell me I’m wrong
There is not a shortage of houses on the Island !
There is a shortage of homes !
Quite simply there are too many empty properties and second homes.
Where in the plans is the new hospital, health centres and dentists that is needed to cope with the influx of people expected to fill these proposed new homes, not to mention the out of date road infrastructure.
“Not never ending, it’s dropped massively in the last couple of years”
I am ready to be educated so please show me the facts to subtantiate your comment..
Very simple to build new homes. When is this council going to realise that this is an island of restricted infrastructure. Build houses, oh dear we need more doctors, nurses, dentists, police etc. Ah only one problem, not enough nationally so we won’t get any help there with infrastructure. We do not need more housing for anyone else other than people and their families who live on this island already.
Would the council like to inform us how many Greenfield sites have now become part of the concrete jungle jigsaw???????
How much flora and fauna has been lost due to building………
We need true greenspace not the artificial man made few metres to try to appease us …..