Sandown

[Mike Cross]

Readers may be aware of the shenanigans over planning at Sandown where the airport was threatened with closure so that it could be redeveloped.

Part of the ongoing process was the Island Core Strategy Plan. A number of people made representations with regard to the Airport site.

I've today received the following:-

As you may be aware, following the initial postponement of the Examination Hearings into the Core Strategy, the Council wrote to the Secretary of State requesting the withdrawal of the Core Strategy from the Examination process. The Secretary of State, under the powers conferred to them by sections 22(2)(b) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, has agreed to the request and on 12 November 2009 the Council received the official direction to withdraw the Core Strategy.

This gives the Council the opportunity to make further improvements to the Core Strategy, which would not have been permitted if the Examination process had been continued. To allow for the work to be undertaken to incorporate such changes, the Council currently expects the preparation of the Core Strategy to run to the following timetable (although this is still subject to confirmation and liable to change):

April/May 2010 Proposed Submission consultation
July/August 2010 Submission and period for Representations
October 2010 Pre Hearing Meeting
December 2010 Examination Hearings
March 2011 Adoption

So it's back to the drawing board and keep an eye out next year for a new consultation.

[Paul_Sengupta]

Thought I'd bring this to the top to see if there's anything we can currently do apart from sign the petition.