Draft Island Planning Strategy

The Inspectors said that they think the Council has complied with the legal and procedural requirements for a new plan, so they were able to then think about the content of the plan.

Whilst they think a lot of the plan is ok, or can be made ok with some small changes, there are some bigger things that need to be fixed to enable them to agree with the plan. They have given the Council two options

• withdraw the plan and start again

Or

• amend the plan in the way the Inspectors have suggested 

Both of these options would have big implications for the island, so will need to be fully understood and carefully considered by full council.

Withdrawing the plan would mean the Council stops the process and goes back to the start on preparing a new plan.

This would be done under the Government’s new planning rules, which are expected to be quicker and cheaper so it would be very different to the way that this plan has been prepared.

It would also have to start to plan for a much higher number of new homes across the Island.

This is what the Inspectors have referred to as the “interim approach” in their letter.

It would mean the Council making the changes the Inspectors have suggested, and then those changes would be publicly consulted on.

Following that there may be further examination hearing sessions where the Inspectors would consider the Council’s proposed changes, updated evidence base and the consultation responses.

The Inspectors have said that the Council will need to increase the number of new homes it should plan for from 453 every year to 703 if they want to adopt the new plan.

They also want to see changes to a document called the Integrated Sustainability Appraisal, to make it clearer how different policy approaches have been explored and considered.

The removal of a policy that looked to bring in net zero requirements for new development in advance of a national requirement to do it.

That the Council updates its work on viability, to help the Inspectors understand that all the policy requirements of the plan can be met and that they aren’t restricting development by asking for too much.

It does, but when you break it down it isn’t as big as it might appear.

What the Inspectors are suggesting is that the Council should focus on the first five years of a new plan, and to achieve what’s known as a five year land supply.

Because of the decisions made by the Council’s Planning Committee and Officers, the gap that would need to be made up in the first five years would be 394 new homes.

This doesn’t mean 394 more new homes every year on top of the 453 number. This is a ‘one off’ amount that would then be spread over the five years.

The Council’s existing evidence and the Housing Register indicates that there is significant unmet need and demand from people and families who are already living on the Island.

Yes, several other changes have been suggested but these aren’t considered to be as important as the bigger changes. 

No. This is their post hearings letter setting out their initial reaction following the examination hearing sessions. The Inspectors won’t make a final decision until the Council has decided what it wants to do. 

The Council will be holding an extraordinary full council meeting to discuss the options and decide how it wants to move forward.

Whichever option the Council chooses it will then write to the Inspectors to let them know.

Yes. The Inspectors have asked that the Council confirms which approach it would like to take to them by early June of this year. This is why an extra-ordinary Full Council meeting is necessary.

Should the Council decide to progress with amending the plan the extra work and consultation will need to happen within a fixed time period, which is likely to be around 6 months.

People can still submit planning applications and the Council will still make decisions on those applications, but those decisions will be based on an old plan and current national planning policies.