By Carole Dennett
The Isle of Wight Council has reluctantly agreed to raise its annual housing target from 453 to 703 homes over the next five years, following pressure from government planning inspectors.
Inspectors had told the council in April that the 453-home annual target was “not justified, positively prepared or consistent with national policy.” They advised setting a revised minimum of 703 new homes per year.
At an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday, councillors faced two options: A – accept the inspectors’ recommendation and amend the draft Island Planning Strategy (dIPS); or B – withdraw the plan entirely and start again using the government’s standard annual housing number of 1,104. The dIPS has taken years to develop and cost around £850,000 to produce.
A third, last-minute proposal – Option C – came from the Conservatives and Empowering Islanders. It called for the council to reject the inspectors’ recommendation and consider launching a judicial review. However, as debate continued, support for the idea dwindled.
Cllr Clare Mosdell, declaring that she would not support it, said: “This feels that it has been going on forever.” When put to a vote, Option C was defeated by 21 votes to nine, with one abstention.
Cllr Andrew Garratt, deputy council leader and leader of the IW Liberal Democrats, said Option C lacked any meaningful risk analysis and warned it could leave the Island with no local plan in place. His LibDem colleague, Cllr Michael Lilley, described it as a “political option.”
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans said that had the plan been approved three years ago, it could have been implemented with the lower housing figure. She urged councillors to accept the ‘olive branch’ now being offered by the inspectors.
As the meeting came to a conclusion, Option B was not even discussed. Councillors voted to accept Option A – the inspectors’ and their own officers’ recommendation – with 21 votes in favour, six against and four abstentions. It was clear that none who voted in favour of the figure was happy with it, but they felt they had little choice.
The meeting was also overshadowed by political tensions and arguments following last week’s election of the new council chairman, Cllr Ian Dore. Cllr Karl Love, the outgoing chairman, was not permitted to vote. Despite the role being largely ceremonial, the chairman holds the casting vote in the event of a tie. With the current make-up of the IW Council, this could prove pivotal during future meetings.