The Isle of Wight council cabinet member for planning, Paul Fuller, said that although there wasn’t the commitment he’d like to have seen from the Housing Minister about ‘exceptional circumstances’ for housing targets, the response was “a step in the right direction”.
Speaking at last night’s Isle of Wight council Cabinet meeting, Cllr Fuller was commenting on the recent response from the new Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, to an IWC request for ‘exceptional circumstances’ on housing targets.
Fuller: Importance of neighbourhood plans
Cllr Fuller said,
“In summary, there are some interesting points that the minister has made. First that the local plans and neighbourhood plans are absolutely fundamental to the decision we make within the planning department and committee.”
Fuller: Evidence a key factor
The Minister had explained that the Planning Inspector would be the one to assess evidence for the Local Plan once it is completed. Cllr Fuller told members,
“I think that what is key is that if that is to be considered, then it’s important and imperative, which is what we’ve been saying along with planning officers, that evidence is absolutely a key factor in that.”
Standard methodology for housing targets
Cllr Fuller also highlighted that the Minister referred to the manifesto pledge to deliver 300,000 new homes annually across the country and that not enough homes are being built and importance of the Government’s standard methodology for housing targets.
On the Island this is currently 668 per annum, but in the draft Island Planning Strategy, the council are trying to suppress the figure to 484 new homes per annum.
Fuller: A step in the right direction
Cllr Fuller said,
“There isn’t the commitment that I would like to see in there [the letter], but it is a step in the right direction and I thank both the MP and Christopher Pincher for his response.”
Letter “aligns with what Ministers have advised Bob”
Conservative Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, had championed the case for ‘exceptional circumstances’ during the draft Island Planning Strategy consultation.
News OnTheWight got in touch with his office to seek his views on the letter to the IWC, they said,
“The letter aligns with what Ministers have advised Bob.
“Local Plans are submitted to the Secretary of State for examination, who then appoint an inspector to examine them (on his behalf) in line with the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.
“Bob will support efforts by the Isle of Wight Council to make the case for exceptional circumstances in their Local Plan submission, and will seek Ministers’ support for this approach when it is submitted to the Secretary of State for examination.”
Image: Charlota Blunarova under CC BY 2.0
