The Isle of Wight’s new local plan will be changed to include a higher annual housing target, full council agreed on Wednesday night.
In an Extraordinary Meeting, 21 councillors voted for an officers’ recommendation to amend County Hall’s draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS), including increasing its planned number of new homes from 453 per year to 703 annually.
Six members voted against, whilst four abstained.
Amendment defeated
Another proposal lodged by the Conservative and Empowering Islanders groups, that County Hall ‘cannot agree’ to ‘significantly increased’ housing targets ‘imposed by central government through the Planning Inspectorate’, was defeated.
Full council’s move follows concerns raised by the government’s Planning Inspectorate over the draft IPS in a Post Hearings Letter sent to the council on 22nd April 2025.
New housing target
Planning inspectors said the draft IPS’s 453 new homes housing target ‘would not be justified’ and instead put forward a ‘minimum’ figure of 703 per year.
A council report said,
“A new local plan, the draft IPS, has been prepared to replace the Island Plan Core Strategy 2012.
“Previously full council agreed to consult on it and then submit it to the Secretary of State for independent, public examination. Over a period of two weeks between 25th February and 6th March, the examination hearing sessions took place.
“On 22nd April, the inspectors’ Post Hearings Letter was sent to the council. In their letter, the planning inspectors set out a number of areas of work that they consider it would be necessary for the council to carry out should it wish to continue.”
The report set out two options: amend the draft IPS in the way inspectors have suggested to address their concerns or withdraw the plan and start afresh.
Officers recommended councillors vote for option A: amending the draft to take on board the inspectors’ suggestions.
Quigley: Equates to around an extra 33 homes a year
Richard Quigley, the Labour MP for Isle of Wight West had said before the meeting,
“As ever, the devil is in the detail and not the headlines. Whilst the current plan has not been accepted by government inspectors, the increase in planning target of 250 to 703 annually actually translates to an increase of 394 homes over the full term of the Island Plan.
“This equates to around an extra 33 homes a year. This is thanks to the hard work the planners have already put into the existing plan and creating a planning pipeline for the homes desperately needed by Islanders.
“We are all fully aware of the lack of affordable and social homes on the Island; Approximately 2,400 households are on the current housing waiting list. We can’t continue to pretend we don’t need to build more homes.”
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
