News Release : 05 January 2005

SOUTH EAST IS FIRST IN USING NEW ENERGY AND TOURISM GUIDANCE

New energy and tourism policies for the South East have been fully endorsed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and will now form part of Regional Planning Guidance for the region. The South East England Regional Assembly, which developed the policies, is the first in the country to have its new approach formally adopted.

The final strategy is available on the GOSE website.

New energy guidelines
The energy policies set new regional and sub-regional targets to radically increase the percentage of electricity generated by renewable energy - from less than 1% in 2005 to 16% in 2026.

Tourism guidelines
New tourism guidance emphasises the need for major sports facilities in the growth areas; Thames Gateway, Milton Keynes and Ashford. It also guides new tourist investment towards large coastal resorts, which need regeneration.

Keith Hill MP, Minister of State for Planning and Housing, commented: “I welcome the Assembly’s hard work in producing the regional strategies for these two important policy areas.”

Councillor Keith Mitchell, Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee, said: “We are very pleased that the policies for energy and tourism have been accepted. The targets for increased use of renewable energy are ambitious, but we see them as minimal targets and hope we can do even better.”

The policies will be incorporated into the South East Plan, a 20-year planning vision for the South East replacing Regional Planning Guidance. They have already been subject to extensive consultation and examination, so they will not be examined again as part of the consultation process on the Plan starting in 2005.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Generation capacity from renewables is less than 1% in 2005. It is likely that this will increase as schemes come on-line and more are permitted.
2. The South East Plan will be a document setting regional priorities and guiding the production of local plans and strategies on critical issues affecting all of us, such as housing, transport, waste and development. It will also help share best practice between different areas of the region that face similar problems and cover the period to 2026. The Plan will impact on the whole South East, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
3. Public consultation on the Plan will be from 24 January until 15 April 2005. Three topics have already been consulted on in 2003 and 2004: transport, renewable energy and tourism. Policies can be viewed on the South East Plan website.
4. What does the Plan cover?
• How much growth do we want?
  The South East is generally prosperous with a good quality of life. A healthy, growing economy offering well-paid jobs needs land for employment, homes and infrastructure.
• How many new homes are needed?
  Data suggest there will be up to 1 million more people in the region in 20 years. Unless we increase the number of homes, housing is likely to become even dearer and homelessness is likely to rise.
• What about the environment?
  We need to minimise our impact on the environment by, for example, focusing building on previously developed land, using water and energy more efficiently, reducing the amount of waste we produce, and protecting the countryside.
• What infrastructure is needed?
  Already many areas suffer from transport congestion and pressure on public services; investment is needed to deal with present needs as well as future growth.
5. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
6. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
7. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007