The Isle of Wight’s MP says he’s leading the rebellion against the Government’s controversial housing reforms - and he intends to “fight” the proposals.
As first reported by Isle of Wight Radio, under the reforms and the Government’s New Standard Method, the Isle of Wight could be required to build 1,045 homes a year.
The Isle of Wight Council’s current target is to build 640 homes a year, but it is only delivering between 250-350.
MP Bob Seely says he is trying to persuade his own Government “to take a much more flexible attitude” towards the Island.
He has also admitted he is an “administrator” in the Whatsapp Group of disgruntled Tory MPs who are rebelling against the Prime Minister’s plans to “Build, build, build”.
The group - which he says currently has 40 members - has already made national headlines and accused the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick of “concreting out, not levelling up” the North of England.
Mr Seely told Isle of Wight Radio:
“The Government wants us to build many more houses which I don’t think is a good idea for the Island and which above all won’t be for Islanders - so I am not going to be supporting it - I’ll be fighting it as hard as I can.”
Asked how the Isle of Wight Council will meet the new housing targets, he said:
“It means we could lose control of planning, so the beginning of the end for the Isle of Wight Council...We can’t meet our current targets and we won’t be able to meet our new targets and I will be telling Government this - in very blunt and straightforward language.”
“We don’t have the infrastructure and we are never going to have the infrastructure on the Island because it is always very difficult to argue our case for additional infrastructure because we are not part of the mainland….We absolutely need to build homes for young people on the Island...But what we don’t need is more three and four-bedroom housing estates built-in low-density greenfields.”
The CPRE (Campaign for Rural England) says plans could see the Island’s housing infrastructure increase by around 50% in 30 year’s time.
Mr Seely says the current the proposed algorithm is flawed. Speaking to Isle of Wight Radio, he said:
“At the moment this algorithm that is making all these frankly daft decisions - is not taking anything into account like AONB status, designated landscapes, flood plains, it doesn’t seem to be taking any of these into account - which is again very strange and unnecessary.”
Mr Seely added:
“The Government is cutting back on building in Northern cities and wants much more building in the shires… The shires are taking the brunt of this.”
“If we can set up our own Island housing company we can then build the sort of property we need, mainly for young people but also for elderly people down-sizing from their houses...That’s got to be the priority and I am delighted the Isle of Wight Council also supports this.”
Asked how he intends to challenge the Government, he said:
“What I am trying to get the Government to do is take a much more flexible attitude to the Isle of Wight, to make sure that we get a plan that is sensitive to local need.”
“I’m working with a lot of colleagues and I think there are a lot of MPs who are very concerned about this.”
The Isle of Wight’s MP says he will publish a 31 page document outlining his preferred plans in the near future.
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