Two groups of opposition councillors last night tried to put a halt to increased housing targets for the Isle of Wight.
The Conservatives and Empowering Islanders lodged a last-minute proposal opposing ‘significantly increased’ targets, which they said were being ‘imposed by central government through the Planning Inspectorate’.
They said the figure already proposed to Government was ‘evidence-based in terms of deliverability in an Island setting and on Island need’. Their motion, ‘Option C’, was defeated however, with 21 members voting against, nine in favour and one abstaining.
Yesterday’s Extraordinary Meeting was called after concerns were raised by the government’s Planning Inspectorate over the draft Island Planning Strategy in a Post Hearings Letter sent to the council on 22nd April.
Inspectors said the draft IPS’s 453 new homes annual target ‘would not be justified’ and instead put forward a ‘minimum’ figure of 703 per year.
Speaking in favour of Option C, the newly elected Empowering Islanders councillor Becca Cameron said:
“The government insist that we need to deliver between 703 and 1,104 homes per year on the Isle of Wight. The enlargement of our West Wight settlement boundaries ignores our unique, protected landscape, our precious green corridors and the devastation it will cause to our wildlife and protected species.
“Such extreme development will destroy our area forever. We all know we need social housing, and that affordable housing actually needs to be based on average Island salaries – we can’t build masses of unwanted, unaffordable housing.
Article continues below this advertisement “Practically we can’t deliver 703 or 1,104 houses annually – the logistics are insurmountable.”
Leader of the Isle of Wight Democrats Cllr Andrew Garratt said:
“I cannot support Option C. Option C does not come with any sensible risk analysis of what this might mean if we were to place it before the planning inspectors.
“It doesn’t properly address what the planning inspectors have tried to do for us – I certainly don’t like what they’re telling us…but they set out in paragraphs 10 and 35 of their letter that they are setting out a pragmatic approach for us to have a plan in place this year.”
In a separate vote, full council ultimately agreed on an officers’ recommendation to amend County Hall’s draft IPS, including increasing its planned number of new homes from 453 per year to 703 annually.
Where are all the new dentists we were promised?
It’s a target, who says we have to achieve it and how would that be achievable in any case?
Is there any point building new homes after todays
speech.
Sounds like the country is getting ready for a war.
If so look what happened during the blitz, so much
devastation.
The blitz would be nothing compared to the devastation one nuke on the Portsmouth naval base would cause. There really is no point worrying about a war, if it happens we all lose instantly.
General election is due 2029,
from what I read thesedays this current
Government are not very popular and
they looks odds on losing the next
General election, but if the country goes to
war, this Government will stay in power.
Is this Alliance group for the Island? They refuse to direct staff at Council to put in proposals for major capital works that might need central government funding (think Military Road, coast defences), their dear leader has fallen out with Island Roads and an untenable situation is looming, they vote in favour of devolution without knowing its real implications, (not their fault because they don’t have the experience), they have failed to reform the pension scheme where 25% of your council tax goes and they are now supporting house building at a scale that the Island can’t support (because they say they don’t have money for the services), and islanders can’t buy because the costs are likely to be 10-times the average income…. Well done Ian Dore for keeping our dear leader in charge with his impeccable judgement!
No more houses on the Ilsle of Wight.
Sadly it’s coming. I am thinking of where to move too.
Devon seems my most likely option, the Island will be
swamped if they keep building properties.
Enough says that the country is preparing for war. I don’t agree it’s Starmer trying to frighten all of war to try and get some of his support back. NO CHANCE
How did the two Reform councillors vote? Did they support the Socialist, sorry “Independents”?