News shared by Jonathan Bacon and Paul Fuller on behalf of the Alliance Administration Group. In their own words. Ed
We recognise that few people are happy with the decision made by the Isle of Wight council planning committee this week about the West Acre development proposal in Ryde.
However the real problem is that the decision illustrates the fact that the Isle of Wight currently does not currently have an adequate planning policy.
Fuller: Made it harder to refuse inappropriate applications
Cllr Paul Fuller, Alliance Administration Cabinet Member for Planning said,
“The current Island Plan effectively went out of date over two years ago. Since then staff in the Planning Department have had to rely upon the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework.
“This situation has made it harder to refuse inappropriate applications or to defend Appeals against decisions refusing such applications.
Considerations that are nothing to do with what is good for the Island
Cllr Jonathan Bacon, Alliance Administration Cabinet Member for Environment and Heritage said,
“This situation has meant that, in effect, the primary consideration has become whether a refusal could be legally challenged, rather than whether the subject matter of the application is appropriate for the Island and its environment.
“Instead of being driven by the sort of considerations that should determine whether planning applications are permitted, such as our particular housing needs and important environmental designations, we have become subject to considerations that are nothing to do with what is good for the Island and its residents.”
Fuller:
Cllr Fuller added,
“When a local authority, such as the Isle of Wight council, does not have adequate planning policies, current Government policy, which requires a presumption in favour of ‘sustainable development’, means that, in addition to, failing to achieve what is required locally, the role of local councillors making planning decisions is also made very difficult.
“During the debate about the West Acre decision it was clear that councillors who were deeply concerned about the proposal did not feel they had the right tools to challenge proposals.”
Have your say in consultation
He went on to say,
“The consultation process for the new Plan gets underway shortly.
“People who are angry, concerned or upset about the West Acre decision, as well as anyone who has thoughts about the inadequacies of our current planning system are encouraged to contribute to the consultation and help create a system that works for the Island and which means we can make better decisions using the right considerations for our Island.”
Image: bensutherland under CC BY 2.0
