SHLAA Update: What Happens Next?

May was frantic in raising awareness to the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment within the Island Plan consultation.

I undertook a letter drop to households immediately adjacent to sites identified by landowners and others for future housing. This was followed up by the public meeting in Gurnard and a more widespread letter-drop by residents of Gurnard and Cowes urging neighbours to visit the consultation and make representations. Many thanks to everybody who has registered their reps, and those who volunteered in the letter drop.

I am optimistic that the Pine Tree Close ’suggestion’, should be the first to be removed as all seven landowners ferociously object to this sites inclusion. Meanwhile, I’ve posted my formal objection about the SHLAA designations online below.

The Council received 891 representations from 550 respondents; 313 related to the SHLAA, whilst 289 related to specific sites in the Cowes, Gurnard and Northwood area. The Planning Policy Unit adds the following:

Next Steps: SHLAA

The Council will use the comments on the SHLAA to update the Assessment, which will include removing sites at the request of the landowners and amending specific site assessments where appropriate. The updated SHLAA will then be available on the Council's website. All sites currently included within the SHLAA will now be subject to much more detailed analysis and that detailed analysis will help the Council to determine which ones remain real options for future housing sites. This analysis will be based upon detailed analysis of transport issues, ecology issues and also analysis of local need and the policies within the core strategy. I would draw you attention in particular to the local needs issue, particularly if your local communities have undertaken any work on a local housing needs survey.

Next Steps Core Strategy

At this stage in the process we cannot make direct changes to the Core Strategy in light of the representations received, we can only suggest to the Inspector the changes that we would like to make. It will be for the Inspector to determine whether the changes that the Council suggest, and indeed changes that people suggested in their representations, can be made to the Plan. This does not mean that we cannot make changes to the SHLAA as this is supporting evidence to the core strategy. Therefore it will be possible to refine the analysis undertaken on the SHLAA sites and update the document itself without impacting upon the content of the Core Strategy.

The Council are not proposing to make major amendments to the Core Strategy (i.e. change the number of new dwellings planned and the general distribution of them). However, the Council will be using the representations received in its work on the Medina Valley Area Action Plan and will be looking in detail at all the sites considered to ensure that it brings forward only the most appropriate options in relation to any development in the Cowes/ Gurnard/ Northwood area. An important element of work on the Area Action Plan will be identifying important local green gaps to ensure that settlements to not coalesce.

To help the Inspector, we are currently summarising the issues that have been raised. This process not only assists the Inspector, but also enables the Council to understand in detail all the representations and any changes that are being suggested. The summary of the issues, along with all the representations received and the Core Strategy and accompanying documents are due to be submitted to an independent Planning Inspector on the 24th June. It is likely that examination hearing sessions will take place in the first couple of weeks in September.

In the meantime, within the Natural Environment White Paper the Government are investigating means whereby local communities can have more of an input within shaping Planning Policy. Although details are a bit sketchy, I’ve been advised there will lie the opportunity to protect important green spaces from future development by their inclusion within ‘Neighbourhood Plans’. If you want to know more please let me know!