HP2

Housing Policy 2

The Department will seek to ensure an adequate supply of housing land, based on the level of provision indicated in Housing Policies 1 and 3. The Department will keep under review land that is allocated for residential development in existing Local Plans and in the Area Plans to ensure that the land is available for development, to enable the number of dwellings to be built that are set out in Housing Policy 1. Where it appears to the Department that land that is allocated for development in a Local Plan or an Area Plan is not available for development, then it will consider, through a review of the Area Plan, making alternative land available and retaining the unavailable land in a land-bank for possible future development. In doing so, the Department will have regard to any phasing proposals for the development of land that are identified in the Area Plan.

8.5 Distribution of Housing

8.5.1 Having regard to the Strategic Objectives in Chapter 3 and the Island Spatial Strategy in Chapter 5, the Department proposes that, whilst development opportunities should be distributed within the Island in accordance with the distribution described at paragraph 5.22, there should be a general policy of containment of built development rather than dispersal and where development should be contained within specific areas within the Island rather than scattered randomly within it. In particular,

1. containment produces greater efficiency and sustainability in terms of the provision of essential infrastructure (power, drainage, roads, schools, water and other utilities);
2. containment minimises the visual intrusion of development in undeveloped areas, thus protecting the significant and unique beauty of the unspoiled areas of the Island and maintaining the majority of the Island for the benefit of agricultural production and nature conservation;
3. the promotion of development in individual villages and towns promotes the interaction of those who live and work there thus promoting the social qualities of life and the provision of social facilities (shops, public houses, cinemas, sporting facilities etc) in an economical and efficient form; and
4. containment supports the principle of an efficient and effective public transport system whereby access to the system is easily afforded to the majority of the population thus reducing reliance on the private motor vehicle, supporting the reduction of the use of finite fuel resources and reducing the potential for pollution and congestion.

8.5.2 The Consultation Draft of 2000 introduced the concept of a new settlement as a means of accommodating increasing demands for new development, but this idea has been rejected by the Department for the reasons set out in Appendix 3.

8.5.3 The final stage in calculating the overall housing requirement figure is to examine the spatial distribution of households across the North, South, East and West. The approach for this distribution is underpinned by the Island Spatial Strategy set out in Chapter 5 of this Plan. The Department has analysed development trends across the four Areas and made an assessment of the settlements within each of them. Having an understandable method for the distribution of housing across the Island is essential as the Area Plans produced will be the mechanism by which the Department will identify opportunities to deliver housing and other associated facilities, services and infrastructure requirements. The Department, having considered the development trends since 2001, as well as settlement pattern and characteristics, concludes that the spatial distribution of housing for the four Areas should be as set out below. These numbers were rounded, allowing sensible working figures for each Area. Therefore the overall housing requirement figure for the Island is 5100.

	Spatial distribution based on past development levels (planning approval data) 2001 to 2013	Spatial distribution based on development levels (rounded)
North	762	770
South	1118	1120
East	2438	2440
West	762	770
Total	5080	5100

8.5.4 In line with the provisions of the Island Spatial Strategy it is intended that new housing provision should be distributed in the following general way. Area Plans will review existing housing allocations against sustainability criteria and other Policies in the Isle of Man Strategic Plan. Current household data and approval statistics for new dwellings are set out in Appendix 8.