Ministers signal further consultation on two more regional strategies

Ministers have announced further consultation on two more regional spatial strategies – for the South West and the East Midlands – which involve an increase in housing provision.
 
In the case of the South West draft RSS the Government has proposed some major changes to the blueprint and called for a 29 per cent increase in housing provision to address housing shortages, affordability issues and to take account of past under-delivery. The new figure is four per cent more than the panel proposed. The Government also wants to see the South West's affordable housing target increased to 10,000 homes per annum – a third higher than originally catered for.

In the case of the East Midlands draft RSS the extra housing required represents a 3.4 per cent increase in provision compared to the draft proposals.

Ministers have also decided to reject the Panel's recommendation to scrap much of the Green Belt around Nottingham, to remove site-specific references to urban extensions around Nottingham, Leicester and Lincoln and to propose restraint on development in Lincolnshire coastal districts while flood risk issues are considered in more detail.

In the case of the draft South West RSS additional housing growth is proposed in the Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth Housing Market Areas.

Ministers have also decided that in the light of the panel's work more work needs to be done to strengthen the region’s assessment of regionally and sub-regionally significant infrastructure requirements.

Read the Draft Revised RSS for the South West.

Read the Secretary of State's proposed changes to the East Midlands RSS.

Roger Milne

24 July 2008