More work is needed on the Isle of Wight council’s controversial 15-year planning strategy, it has been agreed.
Following a three-hour meeting last month where ultimately no decision was made about the future of the draft Island Planning Strategy (DIPS), councillors reached a middle ground at a meeting last night (Wednesday).
In a motion originally posed by Cllr Chris Jarman, the cabinet member for strategic finance and transformational change, the DIPS will now head back to the council’s executive to address the concerns.
Ten objections to the DIPS
Amending the motion last night, with support from other councillors across the chamber, ten objections were highlighted in the DIPS — which would set the council’s housing targets, outline employment space and create new planning policies.
They objections included:
- A clear commitment the council would use land it owns to build social homes affordable to Islanders as part of its housing company.
- A split in housing developments where affordable housing is delivered — of which 80 per cent should be rented and 20 per cent allocated as shared ownership.
- A time limit of six months for legal agreements to be signed or permission would be refused.
- The DIPS to be brought back to full council no later than April 2023.
- The need to recognise local energy security and provide a future feasibility study into the generation of geothermal energy on the Island.
- The use of contemporary and accurate data regarding housing needs, population growth and age profile demographics.
- A definition of affordable rented housing based on not more than one-third of the net average local monthly earnings.
60 days to respond
The leader of the council, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, now has 60 days to either submit a revised DIPS and the reasons for the changes or inform full council of reasons why cabinet disagrees with the points.
Cllr Jarman said the list was not directing cabinet to take specific action but were points for them to consider and work out the best way forward.
Fuller: Heartening to hear the discussions
Reacting to the motion, Cllr Paul Fuller, the lead member for planning and housing, said it was quite heartening to hear the discussions that have taken place across the council since the last meeting and they were now at a stage where it can be moved forward.
Jones-Evans: Concern over delay
Abstaining from the vote, Cllr Julie Jones-Evans said she feared the motion would not move the council forward and was concerned it would just end up in a situation where people were still not happy with the changes.
She said by sending the DIPS back for more work, it would be another year the Island would not be protected and it would be open season for developers.
Quigley: A real shift in attitude needed
Cllr Richard Quigley was concerned councillors were just finding different ways to build less housing and said a real shift in attitude was needed to give Islanders a chance at having their own front door.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Wesley Tingey under CC BY 2.0
