Conservatives in charge of Winchester City Council have vowed to look again at
controversial reserve housing sites in the district.
The Tory controlled authority has been forced to pass the local plan with the sites at Little Frenchies Field in Denmead, Pitt Manor and Francis Gardens in Winchester and Spring Lane, Alresford, earmarked for housing should Government targets for new homes not be met.
"We have been forced into this situation because time is against us," George Beckett, leader of the city council, said.
To take these sites out of the local plan at this late stage would trigger new costs of £300,000 because of Government rules, and delay the new document for up to two years.
This could lead to a development free for all. With no plan in place, builders can challenge the council over planning issues more easily.
Earlier this year we fought long and hard to stop this decision to include these sites, which we said was hasty. But, the Liberal Democrats did not listen, and now it is too late to deal with it this year.
However we have established that new Government rules on planning give us a way forward. From next year, local councils will be able to review these sites for housing every year.
This can allow the council the flexibility to delete, substitute or find new sites depending on the evidence at hand.
"We pledge to do this at the first opportunity."
Notes:
Winchester is presently exceeding Government targets for new housing and projections show this is likely to carry on for the next five years. It is therefore unlikely these earmarked sites will have to be used.
Deleting the earmarked sites from the local plan would be an amendment that requires a 12 week consultation and take the final adoption of the plan past the key date of July 21.
This date is important because if the plan is approved after this time new rules require the council to undertake an "Environmental Impact Statement".
The whole local plan would have to be re-examined in the light of this statement at a minimum cost of £300,000 and a delay of two years before the plan could be adopted.
1st June 2006