A decision on whether over 2,500 new
homes will be built in Purbeck has been delayed.
Following a successful legal challenge in the
East of England, the publication of the South West Regional Spatial
Strategy (RSS) has been postponed by the Government.
2,750 extra homes have been proposed for the
Lytchett Minster area of Purbeck as part of the Regional Spatial
Strategy and the Secretary of State was due to announce this week
if the building of these homes would go ahead. These homes
would be in addition to 2,400 already earmarked for the district,
making a total of 5,150 dwellings to be built by 2026.
Members of Purbeck District Council
unanimously objected to the proposals in the Secretary of State’s
consultation back in October, adding to the 35,000 responses sent
from the whole of the South West.
Leader of the Council, Councillor David Budd,
said: “It is good to see there has been a successful legal
challenge against similar plans in the East of England. The
whole Council strongly opposes this Government imposition on
Purbeck and we hope that they now see common sense.
“The delay in publication is disappointing as
uncertainty remains over the proposals, however this will give the
Government more time to carefully consider the Council’s
representations. Purbeck District Council has threatened to
mount a legal challenge along similar lines to the successful
challenge in east of England and it is hoped that the Government
will take this threat very seriously.”
The Government has said that it needs to wait
for the full written judgement on the East of England Plan case to
allow it to consider the potential implications for the South West
strategy.
Last month the High Court gave an oral
judgement that the Eastern plan failed to meet requirement of
the EU environmental law after a challenge by Hertfordshire
and St Albans councils.
If the South West Regional Spatial Strategy
contains policies that are thought to breach the EU strategic
environmental assessment directive more work may need to be done,
which would cause further delay.
Ends
The
Regional Spatial Strategy is a document, produced by the
South
West Regional Assembly, which outlines how a region should look
in 15 to 20 years time and possibly longer. It identifies the scale
and distribution of new housing in the region, indicates areas for
regeneration, expansion or sub-regional planning and specifies
priorities for the environment, transport, infrastructure, economic
development, agriculture, minerals and waste treatment and
disposal.
The
Secretary of State’s recommended extra 2,750 homes are proposed
within an “Area of Search” at Lytchett Minster (The Western
Sector).
Government Office for the South West
(GOSW) - in a letter to all the region’s local authorities, the
GOSW said that it needs to wait for the full written judgement on
the
East of England Plan case to allow it to consider the potential
implications for the South West strategy.
Last month the High Court gave an oral
judgement that the Eastern plan failed to meet requirement of the
EU environmental law after a challenge by Hertfordshire and St
Albans councils.
Contact:
Contact: Mark Sturgess, Head of Planning,
Purbeck District Council, on 01929 557268
or
Steve Dring, Team Leader – Planning Policy
Manager, Purbeck District Council, on 01929 557339