By Carole Dennett
Planning inspectors have given an initial response to the Island Planning Strategy (IPS).
In a letter to the IW Council, they agreed there was not a strong enough reason to lower annual housing targets by claiming ‘exceptional circumstances’. However, they disagreed with the council’s proposal to build 453 new homes per year. Instead, they offered two alternative options.
The first is to bring forward a short term (1-5 years) strategy with an annual housing target of 703, identifying additional land or sites, alternatively they say the plan could be withdrawn and work started on a new plan based on 1,100 dwellings per year. The options will be considered at an extraordinary IW Council meeting next month.
Ollie Boulter, the council’s strategic manager for planning and infrastructure delivery, said: “We understand the urgency and importance of addressing these housing figures. The council is committed to finding a solution that meets the needs of our community while adhering to the inspectors’ recommendations. Our goal is to find a viable solution that balances the Island’s housing needs with regulatory requirements.”
Inspectors said most policies in the IPS were acceptable or could be made acceptable with minor adjustments.
IW West MP Richard Quigley explained that because of the number of houses already approved, the numbers were not as bad as they appeared. He said: “As ever, the devil is in the detail. Whilst the plan has not been accepted , the increase in planning target to 703 annually, actually translates to an increase of 394 homes over the full term of the Island plan – around an extra 33 homes a year. This is thanks to the hard work the planners have already put into the existing plan and creating a planning pipeline for the homes desperately needed by Islanders.
“We are all aware of the lack of affordable and social homes on the Island; approximately 2,400 households are on the housing waiting list. We can’t continue to pretend we don’t need to build more homes.”
