Reducing the government’s house building expectations for the Isle of Wight is a priority for the council’s new head of planning and housing.
Speaking after his role was announced to the Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet executive, Cllr Paul Fuller confirmed one of his primary focuses, once things have settled down, will be to get the government to shrink the housing target.
Over 1,000 new homes a year
Proposed changes to the housing target announced last October would see the Island’s target of 640 new houses built each year increase to 1,045.
The Island has failed to deliver the housing targets in the past three years and as a result, the planning authority has had sanctions imposed by government — including the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
Threat to IW greenfield sites
Carrying on the work of his predecessor, Barry Abraham, in challenging the figure, Cllr Fuller said they are very much being steered by the government’s housing policy and the proposed white paper would threaten greenfield sites on the Island.
Cllr Fuller said the planning officers are working on this but,
“We have to be able to work with the stipulations, and if we do not we need to give a good reason why we cannot.”
Protecting parking on seafronts
Another priority for Cllr Fuller is to ensure car parking, in town centres and at seafronts, is used in a way that can regenerate the local economy.
By speaking to and working with town and parish councils, Cllr Fuller, in conjunction with fellow cabinet member Cllr Jonathan Bacon, would like to make derelict buildings operational again.
Received most votes in election
Now part of the ruling Alliance Group, and echoing the words of other group members, Cllr Fuller, the Cowes West and Gurnard representative — who received the most votes of all candidates at the election — is supporting, and pushing for, an open and transparent council.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
