'Tinkering With The Wrong Roundabout': Island's MP Hits Back At Housing Reforms

The Island's MP has challenged his own Government in the housing reform debate he led today (Thursday) and seized the opportunity to criticise the Government money given to "tinker with the wrong roundabout" in Newport.

Speaking in the House of Commons, MP Bob Seely, who is leading the rebellion against the Tory Government's planned housing reforms, says ministers have not yet proved "why" the current planning system needs to be scrapped.

Under the Government reforms, the Isle of Wight could be forced to build 1,045 homes a year, a target which he says is "undeliverable" and "unrealistic".

The Isle of Wight currently only builds around 350 homes per annum, as first reported by Isle of Wight Radio.  Mr Seely says the proposed targets are, therefore, "setting them up for a fail".  He says the Government might as well ask them to organise a "moon landing".

He says the Tory's promised to "level up" in their manifesto but he claims the Government's Housing White Paper and the new targets will mean rural shires and suburbs are forced to take on more housing, whereas the urban north and midlands will see its housing targets fall. 

Mr Seely accused the Government of "concreting out, not levelling up"  and said the "worst of all worlds" would be to hollow out cities, to urbanise our suburbs and suburbanise the countryside.

He claims building on the Island's greenfield's site will "damage our tourism" and says it does not have the infrastructure to cope with additional homes - that he claims are not going to be for young Islanders.

Speaking in the House of Commons he said:

"If [the minister] wants to build for young Islanders, I'll show him where to, I'll show how to and I'll tell him what we need, but the answer is not low-density greenfield sprawl and not the numbers demanded  - and the Isle of Wight Council and I are at one on this. Time prevents me going into other reasons such as infrastructure, water supply, sewage and our hospital -  all of which are under pressure.

"In 40 years we will have a 50% population increase - we have half a mile of dual carriageway and had some cash last year to tinker with the wrong roundabout in Newport. Our 1938 rolling stock of Network Rail is now going to be upgraded to 1970 - which I suppose is modernity of sorts".

Other suggestions he made during the debate include:

• Give communities the right to ban low-density greenfield development
• Stick to the levelling up agenda
• Legally exhaust brownfield sites before building on greenfields
• Strengthen, not weaken community engagement
• Respect rural and urban natures of areas
• Make developers pay council tax on undeveloped plots
• Free up Government land for large scale projects
• Tighten rules around foreign buyers who leave property empty
• Ban offshore shell purchases

He also urged ministers to think in the "long term" and said he wants to maintain the beauty of the Isle of Wight and its landscapes, which insists has an "economic and moral value".

Former Prime Minister Theressa May also voiced her concerns about the Government's proposals during the debate, siding with the Island’s MP.

Throughout the debate, Mr Seely also received personal praise from ex-cabinet ministers and colleagues for his "research" into the Government's Housing White Paper.

Consultation on the proposals will run until October 29.

Mr Seely is calling for a "meaningful" vote on the bill next year.

MPs united that we need to think again on mutant algorithm. It’s bad for the #isleofwight and bad for the UK.

May attacks 'ill-conceived' planning reformshttps://t.co/bTXoY5NdMC

— Bob Seely MP (@IoWBobSeely) October 8, 202