Island MP Bob Seely's rebellion over housing targets has led to a change in government policy.

Mr Seely — who has led a group of MPs campaigning nationally to reverse what he calls 'unrealistic and damaging' housing targets — has been told by the Secretary of State for Housing, Robert Jenrick, that he is scrapping the proposed algorithm that dictated the scale and location of housebuilding.

Under the proposals, more than 1,000 new homes would have been built on the Island each year.

Mr Seely argued this level of housing would damage the local environment and would not address local needs.

Read more: Don't bury Island under concrete, says Seely

He said: “These houses would not have been for Islanders. We do not have the infrastructure for them, and they would damage both our quality of life and our economy.”

Welcoming today’s news, Mr Seely said he would continue to lobby government to ensure new housing was built in the right areas and in line with local need.

Mr Seely said the Island needs affordable homes built on brownfield sites.

Mr Seely said: “This is good news. I’m grateful to Ministers for listening to members of the public, Councillors and MPs. I am sure MPs will want to look at the re-jigged plans in detail, but this is an initial victory for those who care about their communities.

“Most of all, I want to thank parish and town councillors and Islanders who wrote to the Secretary of State or took part in the consultation process. The government listened to our concerns and has acted on them."

Seely said he would also be liaising with the IW Council to seek new designations.

But he warned more action was needed to ensure new houses were built in a sustainable way.

Seely said: “While this is a very welcome announcement, the target to which we now revert is still too high.

"We need to stop speculative, greenfield sprawl building on the Island. We need to build well-designed, high-quality housing, on brownfield sites in existing communities, in appropriate numbers, for Islanders.

“While this is an important initial victory, I will be working with others to make changes to any new proposed laws to give the Island more flexibility and to allow us to overwhelmingly focus on urban regeneration.

“We must also look at new protection for our countryside and landscape, whether by extending the AONB or by creating a new Island Park designation.

"I will be talking to the council about this in the coming months to see if we can agree a joint position."