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"Build, Build, Build"- Controversial Plans For 1,000 New Isle Of Wight Homes

Isle of Wight

Controversial Government housing reforms could see more than 1,000 new homes built on the Isle of Wight, with critics warning the new proposals will ignore the voices of Islanders.

Since 1948, central Government has determined housing targets for local authorities. Councils then allocate the land which is given planning permission (or not).

The Isle of Wight Council is currently required to build 640 homes a year, but with the new algorithm formula in force, called the New Standard Method, it could be forced to deliver 1,045.

But the algorithm, which is currently being 'tweaked' and amended by ministers, does not take into consideration things like subsidence, flooding, or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) when calculating an area's target.

Half the Isle of Wight's land is AONB and it is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, both of which will be disregarded. 

According to the leader of the Isle of Wight Council, the local authority is only delivering between 250-350 homes a year. If new Government plans proceed - it could see the Island’s housing stock increase by over 50% in 30 years' time.

Asked how the council plans to meet the new housing targets when the current ones are already not being met, Councillor Dave Stewart said:

“I want to reassure the Island that this administration is determined to take every opportunity we get to raise this now with Government…It’s about the Island putting its case professionally together - evidence-based and then presenting that to our contacts in Government, which is exactly what we are going to do.”

Critics say plans will undermine the purpose of local democracy and the role of local councillors. Members of the public will also not be able to object to specific developments in their area.

The CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) on the Isle of Wight says stripping powers in planning reforms will be damaging.

A spokesperson has told Isle of Wight Radio:

“We are moving from a system where local people through their councils and their elected representatives can comment and potentially object or change specific developments in their area - to a system whereby once a local plan has been dictated - often many years in advance - local people and councillors will have no ability to challenge individual developments...

“If you take the example of Westridge Farm which is a very hot topic at the moment, hundreds of people have objected to the development and it is a long-running sore in the planner’s mindset. But under the new system, those local people at Westridge would have no ability to object and have their voices heard in front of the application being launched…

“Whilst the Government, in theory, will claim you have the ability to influence planning at the ‘plan stage’ - we are talking many years in advance. The reality is it is unreasonable to expect individuals to review an entire local plan - years in advance of developments being brought forward...Local people want the ability - when they see a development about to be launched on their doorstep to comment on it.

“...If the local council doesn’t meet its target - planning control is taken away from it completely - and there’s a presumption in favour of development, which means lower quality, more sprawling greenfield development, which we are very very concerned about."

The Government’s New White Paper on housing - Planning for the Future - will mean councils are given compulsory targets, as well as zones where developments are automatically green-lighted.

Conservative backbenchers have already voiced concerns that the new formula predominately targets conservative-held regions, which they argue are being penalised under the Prime Minister's plans to build more homes.

Disgruntled Tory rebels have also reportedly accused the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick of “concreting out, not levelling up” the North of England in a Whatsapp group behind the rebellion.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said:

“Local housing need proposals provide a guide for councils on how many homes be needed in their area and councils will still need to consider local circumstances to decide how many homes should be delivered.

“We are consulting on the proposals and will reflect on the feedback we receive so we are building the homes we need, where we need them."

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