The Isle of Wight will be forced to build more houses because it has not built enough to meet government targets.
Between April 2018 and March 2021, the Isle of Wight was required to build 1,749 houses, but even with a reduced target — due to Covid-19 — the Island fell well short.
In that three-year time frame, only 1,019 homes were built — or 58 per cent of the target.
It means the number of new houses required for 2022 increased by a further 20 per cent.
2,000 people on the housing register
The Island is in a precarious situation, due to the lack of house-building, as 2,000 people are understood to be on the housing register, in the most in need groups.
The tilted balance
Failing to meet the housing target forces the Island under the ‘presumption in favour of sustainable development’, or tilted balance.
It means unless there is something majorly wrong with an application, the Isle of Wight Council must approve it.
In 2021, 458 homes should have been built on the Isle of Wight but only 411 were. While it was more than in the previous four years, it was still not enough.
Drop in housebuilding
House building on the Island has continually decreased in the last few years, with fewer homes built in 2020 (253) than in 2016 (324).
The government-set target is something the council is trying to fight in its draft Island Planning Strategy.
Through the strategy, the council argues its case for fewer houses, which would in turn help the Island meet its target and take the authority out of the tilted balance.
Building on brownfield sites
There are also increased calls to build on brownfield sites. In the draft Island Planning Strategy, the authority says there are not enough brownfield sites to meet the need.
There are approximately 60 hectares on the brownfield register, with capacity for around 1,500 homes — of which 600 already have planning permission.
Borrowing to build
In its latest budget, the Isle of Wight Council approved £40 million of borrowing to build houses and start its own housing company to address the Island’s housing crisis.
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: Tool Dude8mm under CC BY 2.0
