New higher housing target set for the Isle of Wight
Councillors voted in favour at an Extraordinary Meeting last night
The Isle of Wight’s new local plan will be changed to include a higher annual housing target, full council agreed.
In an Extraordinary Meeting last night (Wednesday), 21 councillors voted for an officers’ recommendation to amend County Hall’s draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS), including increasing its planned number of new homes from 453 per year to 703 annually.
Six members voted against whilst four abstained.
Another proposal lodged by the Conservative and Empowering Islanders groups, that County Hall ‘cannot agree’ to ‘significantly increased’ housing targets ‘imposed by central government through the Planning Inspectorate’, was defeated.
Full council’s move follows concerns raised by the government’s Planning Inspectorate over the draft IPS in a Post Hearings Letter sent to the council on April 22.
Planning inspectors said the draft IPS’s 453 new homes housing target ‘would not be justified’ and instead put forward a ‘minimum’ figure of 703 per year.
A council report said: “A new local plan, the draft IPS, has been prepared to replace the Island Plan Core Strategy 2012.
“Previously full council agreed to consult on it and then submit it to the Secretary of State for independent, public examination. Over a period of two weeks between February 25 and March 6, the examination hearing sessions took place.
“On April 22, the inspectors’ Post Hearings Letter was sent to the council. In their letter, the planning inspectors set out a number of areas of work that they consider it would be necessary for the council to carry out should it wish to continue.”
The report set out two options: amend the draft IPS in the way inspectors have suggested to address their concerns or withdraw the plan and start afresh.
Officers recommended councillors vote for option A: amending the draft to take on board the inspectors’ suggestions.
More to follow.