This was the subject of a recent training event organised by the Isle of Wight Association of Local Councils (IWALC).
Over 50 participants packed into the council chamber in County Hall to hear presentations by Isle of Wight council staff on the role of community-led plans and housing needs surveys.
Taking part
Cllr 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. And Director of Regeneration, Chris Ashman, talked about place plans, which are one of the other types of community-led plan.
Merits of the different types of community-led plans
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.
Influencing the detail
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.
Conyers: An important topic to our local communities
IWALC Chair, Diana Conyers, 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.”
News shared by Jill on behalf of IWALC. Ed
Image: Daniel McCullough under CC BY 2.0
