A new housing strategy for the Isle of Wight (not the Island Plan) is set to go to public consultation in the new year.
The Isle of Wight Council has pledged to consider lowering the number of houses built on the Island, while meeting the the need for affordable housing.
Following a campaign by MP Bob Seely, council leader Cllr Dave Stewart said in September the council would challenge the government’s housing target in a bid to reduce the number of houses planned for the Island.
Seely: Too many houses
The Island Plan (which is different to the Housing Strategy and will not stipulate the housing target), previously published by the council, includes a target to build almost 10,000 homes over the next 15 years — equating to 641 houses a year — which Mr Seely said was too many.
He has called on the government to recognise the Island as an ‘exceptional case.’
Abraham to make delegated decision
The council’s housing cabinet member, Cllr Barry Abraham, is now set to make a delegated decision on 31st December to put a new draft strategy — the Housing Strategy 2020/2025 — to public consultation.
It will set out the council’s strategic priorities for housing — which includes building more expensive, as well as affordable, homes, providing keyworker housing and tackling homelessness.
Bring run-down properties back into use
Regeneration of the Island’s housing stock could also bring old, run-down properties back into use.
The private sector would provide housing, with the council supporting developers and landlords and overseeing quality control and regulation.
If the decision is approved, the consultation will be launched early in the new 2020 for six to eight weeks, before the final strategy is presented to the cabinet in March.
