THE bid to approve a new planning strategy for the Isle of Wight continues its slow march forward  — although one cabinet member has railed against others to oppose it.

At the Isle of Wight Council's cabinet meeting last week, cabinet approved sending the draft Island Planning Strategy (IPS) to the full council with the recommendations from its scrutiny body.

They included strengthening the protection of greenfield sites, by developing them only when absolutely necessary, and restricting the purchase of new builds as second homes.

Planning cabinet member, Cllr Paul Fuller, said the move starts to bring to conclusion a lot of work undertaken by the council in the last four years.

However, Cllr Chris Jarman, cabinet member for strategic finance, said national planning policies call for the use of data and estimates used in the draft IPS are 'wholly mistaken'.

Quoting population growth figures recently released from the 2021 census, Cllr Jarman said there was no need to build the targeted 479 homes a year — more like 70.

He said revising the figures could mean a 'radically different prospect for Islanders', one that would not enable major developments.

Cllr Jarman argued there was no shortage of homes to buy and building houses would not fix the Island's housing crisis.

He said moving forward with the draft IPS was 'illogical' and voted against sending the plan to full council.

Cllr Fuller said through the strategy, the council was trying to fight the government-imposed housing figure which means the Island would have to build 730 homes a year.

Through the evidence-based approach, Cllr Fuller said, officers and councillors have suppressed it as low as they think they can at 479.

When the draft IPS goes forward to the Planning Inspectorate there will be a further six-week consultation period, he said, where evidence and figures can be put forward for consideration.

The draft IPS was set to be discussed at the next meeting of full council, on September 21, but due to the national mourning period following the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, the meeting has been cancelled, and will be rescheduled for a date to be set.