Agenda item

To agree some of the Full Council recommended changes, all of the recommended changes from the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration and all of the recommendations from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee* to the draft Island Planning Strategy as attached at Appendix 1; and then

To recommend to Full Council that the draft Island Planning Strategy be approved and published for the Regulation 19 period for public representation and then submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination; and

To recommend to Full Council to delegate any final editorial and presentational changes to the Island Planning Strategy prior to publication and submission, to the Director of Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding, so long as they do not materially alter the intention of the version agreed by Full Council.

The matter of the Island Plan had been going on for seven years with a great deal of consultation during that time. The Corporate Scrutiny Committee had made comments relating to the timeliness of signing off Section 106 agreements and aspects relating to the use of council owned sites for socially affordable homes for rent.

The recommendations from Corporate Scrutiny would result in the following changes to the Draft IPS document attached at Appendix 1:

1. Addition of the following sentence within Appendix 3 of the Draft IPS (Site specific requirements) to all IOW Council owned allocations (HA002, HA031 (part), HA037, HA044, HA078, HA080 & HA084):

“As the site is owned by the Isle of Wight Council, the council should seek to bring forward the land through an appropriate council housing delivery vehicle that maximises the number of social homes affordable to island residents.”

2.     Revision to paragraph 6.38 that supports policy G5 ‘Ensuring planning permissions are delivered’ to read:

“6.38 To help ensure that proposals for development are implemented in a timely manner, the council will consider imposing a planning condition providing that development must begin within a timescale shorter than the relevant default period, where this would expedite the development without threatening its deliverability or viability. Any delays will take account of the preparation of S106 legal agreements. The local planning authority considers that where a planning obligation, such as a Section 106 agreement, is required it should be completed in a timely manner. Should Planning Committee resolve to approve a planning application and the obligation has not been completed within six months of the resolution, the decision may be referred back to Planning Committee for reconsideration.”

The Leader was aware of further advice received regarding the demographic information. It was noted that members were keen to move things forward and that following Full Council, if approved to move to regulation 19, there would be a four-week period during which further amendments could be made.

The Leader undertook to “request and hold an extraordinary Full Council meeting during that four-week period should that new demographic information indicate a different view on exceptional circumstances when it is received.”

Concern was expressed that Full Council would not be able to reconsider the decision within six months, however the Leader gave an undertaking that he would ensure enough members would call for the extra meeting.

Concern was also expressed regarding paragraph 6.15 in relation to allocated sites and whether it was the intention of the council to remove the right from the planning committee to grant planning permission in principle, and restrict the committee to the design, density and potential impact. It was suggested that this paragraph be made clearer and remove any ambiguity.

RESOLVED:

To agree some of the Full Council recommended changes, all of the recommended changes from the Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Neighbourhoods and Regeneration and all of the recommendations from the Corporate Scrutiny Committee* to the draft Island Planning Strategy as attached at Appendix 1; and then

To recommend to Full Council that the draft Island Planning Strategy be approved and published for the Regulation 19 period for public representation and then submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination; and

To recommend to Full Council to delegate any final editorial and presentational changes to the Island Planning Strategy prior to publication and submission, to the Director of Communities in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding, so long as they do not materially alter the intention of the version agreed by Full Council.