Over 50 participants recently packed into the Council Chamber at County Hall to hear presentations by Isle of Wight Council staff on the role of community-led plans and housing needs surveys as part of a training event organised by the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils (IWALC).
“How can local parish, town and community councils influence the scale and type of development in their communities?” was the subject of the event.
Councillor Paul Fuller, Cabinet Member for Planning and himself an IWALC member, welcomed participants.
James Brewer, Planning Team Leader (Policy and Services) and Ollie Boulter, Strategic Manager for Planning and Infrastructure Delivery, explained the role of neighbourhood plans, other types of community-led plans and local housing needs surveys. Director of Regeneration, Chris Ashman, talked about place plans, which are one of the other types of community-led plan.
Discussion focused on the relative merits of the different types of community-led plans and on the extent to which they can influence development. Participants were warned that community-led plans have to be consistent with the Council’s local plan, which covers the whole Island, and this in turn has to conform with national planning policies. In other words, community-led plans are more about influencing the detail than the grand design. However, they can influence some important details, such as the location and design of new houses, limits on second home ownership and the location of community infrastructure.
IWALC Chair, Diana Conyers, has said:
“IWALC would like to thank the Council’s planning staff for a very useful session. The number of people who attended shows how important this topic is to our local communities. Although local councils have frustratingly few powers in relation to planning, community-led plans are a way of ensuring that we make maximum use of the powers we do have – in the same way that the Island Planning Strategy will help the Isle of Wight Council maximise its control over Island-wide development.”
Location and design ! – so let’s build an ugly oversized appalling property that has been built on a natural field off Strathwell Cres, and destroyed wildlife and polluting water courses. Forced others to sell their now reduced in value homes. Does nothing to meet housing needs of residents.But it’s ok if you have a seat on Whitwell parish council and do some charity work.
What a complete and utter tosh load of old bollox !
( what type of flower would you like to be planted in our plant pot )
Yep. Tell us what you would like us to do with housing on the island, and THEN as long as it complies with council plans, PLUS central government rules, we will listen. What’s the bloody point.
How about telling local people how much the affordable housing will actually cost Islanders, developers never do.
Affordable housing to people living on the mainland maybe still out of reach for locals. Does this not encourage second home owners to buy over here ?
‘Participants were warned that community-led plans have to be consistent with the Council’s local plan,” “community-led plans have to be consistent with the Council’s local plan” two statements that mean nothing at the moment because WE DO NOT HAVE A LOCAL PLAN as things stand, planning will be granted in favour of sustainable development. GET US A PLAN TO WORK WITH FIRST.
I wonder how many attendees have a ‘nice little parcel of land’ sat doing nothing but appreciating in value until the time is right?
All of them probably.
In my humble opinion,
All local county, town, parish, village, committees etc.
are corrupt, and have a selfish self serving attitude to there own kind, whilst pretending to
provide a service to normal folk.