Island’s planning future to be decided at key council meeting
Published: 19 May 2025
A major decision on the future of the Island’s development strategy will be made at an Extraordinary Full Council meeting on Wednesday, 28 May.
At the heart of the meeting will be the future of the Island Planning Strategy (IPS) — a document that will shape development and land use across the Island for years to come.
Councillors will be asked to choose between two options: to continue with the current IPS and seek government approval, or to withdraw the plan and begin work on a new version from scratch.
The newly released report outlines the implications of both routes.
Should the council opt to proceed with the current IPS, it would need to make a number of changes requested by government-appointed Planning Inspectors would need to be made.
This path would see the Island’s annual housing target rise to 703 new homes. Alternatively, withdrawing the plan would mean starting afresh, using a higher baseline figure of 1,104 homes per year — a figure set by national policy.
The IPS doesn’t just deal with housing numbers. It also includes a wide range of policies covering vital local issues such as coastal erosion, flood risk, affordable housing, and design standards — all of which are of great importance to Island communities.
While the report recommends continuing with the current plan, the final decision rests with elected councillors at the Extraordinary Full Council meeting.
The IPS was originally submitted to government in October 2024, with public examination hearings held earlier this year. These hearings, led by Planning Inspectors, assessed whether the plan aligns with national planning policy.
This decision comes at a time of considerable uncertainty, with national planning rules in flux and wider discussions ongoing around local government devolution. The outcome of the 28 May meeting will need to be communicated to the Planning Inspectors by 9 June.
Further explanatory videos are expected to be made available shortly on the council's official Facebook page.
Photo: Getty Images