CPRE Calls Plans For More Than 7,000 Homes A Year On Isle Of Wight "Undeliverable"

The Countryside Charity (CPRE) has criticised plans to build more than 7,000 new homes a year on the Island over the next 15 years, calling them "undeliverable" and a potential "threat" to the UNESCO Biosphere.

The CPRE has welcomed various improvements to the draft Island Planning Strategy document (IPS) but remains concerned that the Island’s natural beauty and greenfields are still not adequately protected from unscrupulous property developers’ housing schemes. 

Over the next 15 years, the draft IPS allows for the creation of 7,290 new homes many of which are on greenfield sites and with little guarantee that they will meet islanders’ needs.

The charity notes that many aspects of the draft IPS have been improved following public consultation in 2018/19, for example, the lower housing targets (by 25 per cent), the removal of two proposed garden villages, the removal of 75 allocated sites, greater emphasis on sympathetic design and high-quality materials, and the banning of development outside of settlement boundaries.  

Nonetheless, it says the overall targets for new housing remain too high considering the Island is predicted to have a falling population over the next 15 years (due to a declining birth rate and increased off-island migration). The high number of new homes planned still panders to Government targets as opposed to real Island need, according to the charity.

Under the Government's planned housing reforms, the Island could have been forced to build over 1,000 homes a year, as Isle of Wight Radio exclusively and first reported. But these plans have been put on hold.

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

Not only are the high targets "undesirable" but they have also been branded "unrealistic" owing to the limitations of building suppliers on the Island. In recent years, no more than 300 homes have been built per year due to capacity issues.

Alex Haig-Thomas, Chair of CPRE Isle of Wight said:

“Decimation of the Island’s green fields to meet government targets is non-sensical and must be stopped.  We must, of course, house those islanders who are currently living in unsuitable accommodation, by building the right homes in the right places as a matter of urgency.  Likewise, we require affordable new homes to meet islanders’ needs but we should not be destroying the island’s natural assets to build swathes of houses not required by locals”

CPRE argues that the council should be encouraging the re-use of brownfield land including our decimated high-streets as well as “in-fills” between existing residences to meet housing need, with green fields only being utilised in exceptional circumstances.

Alex Haig-Thomas added that time is running out for people to comment on the plans, he added:

“Islanders must speak up before Friday 1st October to prevent targets being set for thousands of unnecessary new homes.  Simultaneously, we will work with our MP Bob Seely to put the case to Westminster for the island to be granted “Exceptional Circumstances” as an Island Park to free us from damaging central government targets”.

Link to the draft Island Planning Strategy document is here The Island Plan - Service Details (iow.gov.uk