A row over housing figures will come to a head next week as both sides battle over targets that should be set for the Isle of Wight in the next 15 years.
As the draft Island Planning Strategy (DIPS) finally comes before full council — after a year of discussions and extensive public consultation — councillors will make the decision about what happens next.
It would not be the final approval of the plan as more consultation and scrutiny from the government are expected before it could be adopted but the current version has split councillors. In papers going to full council, it is said cabinet recognises not all councillors agree with all aspects of the plan, and it “may not be perfect”, but it gives the council the best opportunity to get a sound and pragmatic plan in place as quickly as possible.
Opposing the DIPS is cabinet member for strategic finance and transformational change, Cllr Chris Jarman who has put forward a motion that objects to the use of ‘outdated data’ in the plan.
The current figures in the DIPS are based on 2014 predictions, whereas Cllr Jarman and his supporters view this as not accurate and say the council should use data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the 2021 census and use projections from that.
Cllr Jarman’s motion asks that the annual housing need be recalculated and those figures replace the current ones, with particular emphasis put on the need for housing which is ‘affordable by Islanders’ to rent. His motion is also calling for extant planning permissions to be completed; unoccupied properties to be renovated; brownfield site housing to be delivered and housing allocations on greenfield sites to be removed.
The council report says it is the view of the “professional planning officers” that such an approach is unlikely to be successful, given the guidance available and extra scrutiny the DIPS would then face.
These are the reasons the council gives for using 2014 figures:
- Government guidance expects authorities to follow the standard method for assessing local need, which uses the 2014 projections, and is based on household numbers, not population figures
- The 2021 census data shows the number of Island households increased by 3,700 in ten years compared to a population growth of 2,100 people so more houses are needed and are influenced by factors like divorce and children moving out of family homes
- If the 2021 census data is used to establish a housing figure, it would mean arguing ‘exceptional circumstances’ so the plan would face a greater level of scrutiny from the Planning
- Inspectorate and would have a greater chance of being found ‘unsound’
- Changing the data would mean a further delay between 12 and 18 months, while an evidence base is created and the draft reworked, and would also delay other important planning documents, like the waste and minerals strategy which would set policies for the Island on how to deal with fracking and oil exploration applications
- During the delay the council may be subject to further ‘unacceptable’ planning applications which would have to be determined under the tilted balance — which puts the council in a ‘weaker position’ through imposed government sanctions for not hitting the housing targets
- Officers view the current approach — assembling a robust evidence base that demonstrates why the government’s housing target is not deliverable on the Island — has a greater likelihood of success when it reaches the Planning Inspectorate.
- The council’s proposed housing figure of 479 is based upon strong evidence as to why that can be delivered and is considered to be compliant with government guidance
- A housing need based on 70 houses per year would prevent housing being approved and relies on existing planning permissions, empty properties and second/holiday homes to meet all affordable housing needs would be ‘extremely unlikely’ to provide much ‘Island affordable’ housing.
If full council agrees to publish the plan at its October 5 meeting, a further consultation period will start.
Nothing about the infrastructure, NHS services, schools, care in the community to support 479 new builds per year.
Now Liz Truss wants planning in the south east relaxed. seems what ever way the IWCC go, us the Island residents are going to be the losers
Wouldn’t it be better to have a dynamic forecasting model that is able to adapt to changes in household behaviour over the next 15 years. It is 2022, these things are possible you know.
This council is like a dinosaur.
The housing figure should be calculated from a specific Island housing formula which can produce a new target every couple of years or so based on all the relevant factors of demand and supply at the time and projected forward a few years.
To just pick a figure of 479 and say we’re going to target this every year for the next 15 years is amateurish, lacks any common sense, and should be chucked out by the government.
The longer this council delay adopting the Island plan the more green fields will be lost to undesirable development. So far it has taken over 5years to get to this point. Due to the consultation process the number was reduced, to try and reduce it to 70 houses per year which is a ludicrous number and delay it even further just increases more pressure from developers to bring forward green field sites before the plan gets adopted which our planning officers will find very difficult to refuse as it will be granted on appeal.
Maybe the Council and the Government should realise, if they keep building houses, they will have to build a tunnel…. simples… as soon this will be actually part of Portsmouth…
The Island is desperate for a Tunnel, its called progress.
You can bet our counciilors will not be making decisions on what is good for the Island or its people but will be based on what they can benefit from.
The ‘Targets’ must be to bring the infrastructure up to an acceptable level. especially Doctors, Dentist and other health care facilities, never mind building even more houses. We are way below the government recommended ratios on healthcare and Southern Water some years ago said that our sewer system could not safely be added to.
Just driving around the island yesterday the number of new houses / rabbit hutches being built is ridiculous!!!!!
And that is without captiva and all the other big estates being built !!!!!
Seriously need to realise the island cannot cope with all these new builds….
How many times do they need to be told the infrastructure can’t cope or support this amount of concrete !!!!!!
Here we go again …
One hospital …lack of Doctors Dentists , social care ……
For goodness sake I didn’t go to
a public school , but even I can see this is no good for anyone….
How many people have not got a dentist???
And 2 weeks 2 see a Dr????
Won’t get any easier with the farce we face …..
In an ideal world it would be social housing only preferably council houses
If IW Council concentrated doing up abandoned properties etc,
No need to keep putting up properties with rabbit hutch size gardens.
Also not spoiling the countryside of this beautiful island.
STOP building and make use of what’s already here.
Totally agree, you have only got to look at the state of sandown.
So many abandoned Hotels in Sandown that could be converted into flats and houses.