Council land and property assets will be used to prioritise social housing wherever possible, the Isle of Wight Council has decided.
At Wednesday’s Full Council meeting, the chamber voted to agree and adopt the Land and Property Asset Disposal Policy (LPADP) with an amendment to bring the policy in line with ‘the will of Full Council’.
A total of 20 councillors backed the amended policy, while 8 were against and 2 abstained.
Councillors decided to develop a LPADP in January this year to ‘help address’ the Island’s shortage of social rent housing.
A report presented ahead of yesterday’s meeting stated:
“The purpose is to provide a structured framework, detailing how the council will manage its potentially surplus land and property assets with particular priority being given to the delivery of social rent and/or relocatable housing on its land or other property assets, before any consideration is given to it being declared surplus and for disposal.”
The LPADP was originally brought to County Hall by the Empowering Islanders group’s Councillor Peter Spink.
The representative for Freshwater North and Yarmouth spoke in favour of his amendment:
“It was to be full council who would decide land disposals. Somewhat mysteriously, the draft policy which went through six drafts, and a corporate team meeting was drafted and presented to the policy, finance and resources committee, giving that committee the power to dispose in defiance of the full council resolution.
“I go to the amendment, please, on the basis that it will bring the policy in line with the will of full council.”
The Full Council report also raised a number of risks associated with a LPADP which Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Newport Central’s Alliance independent representative, voiced concern over.
She said:
“Completely agree with the sentiment of what we’re trying to achieve here.
“Yes, we need more social rented housing, no doubt about it. I don’t believe this policy is going to do it – I’ve never seen so many risks written into a council report and this is written by a professional property officer.
“I listened into the policy, finance and resources committee the other day and I was quite horrified to hear about how much the policy had been written by members.”
Risks flagged by the full council report include those relating to market demand, market fluctuations, legal challenge, land banking, vacant property assets accruing holding costs, vandalism, lost opportunity for private developers, delays and resource implications involved with site ‘viability/valuation assessments’.
For goodness sake, keep control of the assets.
build your own homes, stop using the likes of Barrett and Captiva who build rabbit hutches and then walk away to the next bit of green field site.
The island needs more diversity, there are too many
r acist reformers on the island, time to bring the
island into the 21st century.
It’s been a sleeping dinosaur for years.
I don’t know how the island has got away with it.
We all know what social housing brings to a community. Especially when Sovereign Housing have something to do with it. It’s already happening on the mainland.
more benefit hutches for the welfare dependent social underclass
People are camping out opposite the
old Sandown Hotel, what a state the island is
becoming.
It was once a great place, who would want to
spend loads of money holidaying in Sandown.
At least you can park free on the pavement in the
pedestrianised zone opposite Sandown Pier
outside the old tourist information centre
beats paying to park, now people are even camping
free of charge in Sandown
Yet you have to pay 50p to use public conveniences
in Sandown
MAYBE THE TOILET CHARGES ARE FUNDING THOSE
VEHICLES THAT ARE EVADING PARKING FEES
The island is a joke!
Which goverment is gonna have the guts to say that we need a reduction in population.Ai gonna make so many jobs redundant. Less poulution less building less cars less nhs ques. All it is is a quick fix to create jobs but its an endless increasing problematic cycle.
Euthanasia is being brought in soon, say no more.
Totally disagree with the need for more social housing, there is no benefit to the island for building such properties, the majority do not pay any form of tax, get subsidised electric, gas and water if they pay at all and still manage to drive round in nearly new cars and take two weeks abroad every year, we are all being taken for mugs.
More diversity, do me a favour!! It’s really worked in the UK eh, have a look at Ireland. You want diversity move there. Build the houses, fill them with local hard working families, keep the ethnics & illegals at bay, stand up for your standards and country!!