Issue - meetings

To comment on the draft Island Planning Strategy ahead of submission to Cabinet and Full Council.

Consideration was given to the report which sought a decision from the Cabinet regarding the recommendations from the Full Council, and the views of the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration, to recommend to Full Council the final version of the draft Island Planning Strategy.

It was noted that all the recommended changes arising from the meeting of the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration in December 2023 had been included within the revised draft document. Discussion took place with regards to alternative legal advice and national planning policy changes, which referred to Islands not linked to the mainland by a road bridge, and which have a large demographic of elderly residents. Questions were raised regarding whether the council was prepared to delay the decision further to plead exceptional circumstances, and whether this could affect the proposed housing targets for the Island. It was recommended that reconsideration be given to the timeliness of Section 106 agreements and aspects relating to social affordable housing.

RESOLVED:

THAT the Cabinet Member for Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding reconsiders the timeliness of signing off Section 106 agreements and aspects relating to the use of council owned sites for socially affordable homes for rent.

To consider and agree to publish the draft Island Planning Strategy for the regulation 19 period for representation at the earliest practical opportunity and following the end of the period for representation, submit the required information to the Planning Inspectorate.

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Enforcement presented the report and Draft Island Planning Strategy following the recommendation from Cabinet on 8 September 2022 which were duly seconded.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution Part 4B section 10 (Voting), four Councillors present at the meeting requested a named vote to be taken, the result of which was as follows:

For (16)

Cllrs D Andre, J Bacon, C Critchison, I Dore, R Downer, P Fuller, J Jones-Evans, P Jordan, J Lever, M Lilley, K Love, K Lucioni, L Peacey Wilcox, I Stephens, D Pitcher, R Quigley

Against (18)

Cllrs M Beston, G Brodie, P Brading, V Churchman, A Garratt, C Jarman, S Hendry, J Medland, C Mosdell, J Nicholson, M Oliver, G Peace, M Price, C Quirk, R Redrup, J Robertson, P Spink, I Ward

The motion fell.

In accordance with the Council’s Constitution Part 4B section 7 (Motions without Notice) Councillor Jarman moved the following motion which was duly seconded:

That, having considered the present Draft Island Planning Strategy, the Leader of the Cabinet be informed that Full Council objects to Cabinet’s submitted recommendations (as per Cabinet decision of 08 September 2022). The objections are as follows:

1)    The annual housing number is based on 2014 estimates of the Isle of Wight population and not on actual Isle of Wight population data published by the ONS from the 2021 Census and their resulting demographic projections.

Full Council objects to the use of outdated data and requires:

-     the annual housing need to be recalculated using the Isle of Wight population data from the ONS 2021 Census and their resulting demographic projections,

-      the above recalculated figures to replace the current figures in the Draft Island Planning Strategy with particular emphasis on the need for housing which is affordable by Islanders to rent, including those on the housing register, with priority of allocation being given to

         - completing on extant planning permissions, 

         - renovating unoccupied properties, 

         - delivering brownfield sites and,

         - removing greenfield allocations

2)    Full Council instructs the Leader of the Cabinet to require the Cabinet to reconsider, in the light of the above specified objections, the Draft Island Planning Strategy submitted to the Full Council, and that the specified period for such reconsideration is sixty working days (beginning on the day after the date on which the Leader of the Cabinet receives these instructions on behalf of the Cabinet) within which the Cabinet Leader may

(a)      submit a revision of the Draft Island Planning Strategy as amended by the Cabinet (the revised “Draft Island Planning Strategy”), with the Cabinet’s reasons for any amendments made to the Draft Island Planning Strategy, to the Full Council for the Full Council’s consideration; or

(b)      inform the Full Council of any disagreement that the Cabinet has with any of the Full Council’s objections and the Cabinet’s reasons for any such disagreement.

Due to time constraints this item was not considered.

To consider and agree to publish the draft Island Planning Strategy for the regulation 19 period for representation at the earliest practical opportunity and following the end of the period for representation, submit the required information to the Planning Inspectorate.