ASSEMBLY CALLS ON TREASURY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE CASH

Increased investment in South East infrastructure, affordable housing and public services is vital to support continued growth in the region, the South East England Regional Assembly has told Government.

In letters to Chancellor Alistair Darling and the Government Office for the South East, the Assembly argues that if house building in the region is to increase 10% to 32,000 homes a year, as recommended by independent planning inspectors, then there needs to be more funding for transport, schools, parks and utilities.

The letters, from Assembly Chairman Cllr Keith Mitchell CBE, follow the inspectors' report on the Assembly's 20-year vision for the region, the South East Plan. They aim to inform Government decisions on any changes it feels are necessary to the Plan in light of the inspectors' recommendations.

Inspectors supported the need for timely infrastructure, so Cllr Mitchell is pressing Government to recognise that:

• Without supporting investment, growth can create intolerable pressure on services and the environment and puts quality of life at risk
• If the inspector-supported affordable housing target of 35% is accepted by Government, then there will have to be a significant increase in funding for this area
• "Affordability" in the housing market is a complex issue and will not be solved by simply increasing the number of houses built
• Major greenfield building will be required to deliver the extra homes, meaning new costly infrastructure will be needed in these areas to provide services to householders.

Cllr Gibson added:

"We have been working with Government and its agencies to improve the planning of infrastructure investment, to find innovative ways to make public money go further and improve public resources through the private sector. However it is Government who holds the key to unlock the caged potential of the South East through increased funding for transport, schools, health facilities and community infrastructure."

Contacts

Steve Baker, Assembly PR Executive - 01483 555234

Heather Bolton, Assembly Communications Director - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Chairman's letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer - 64 KB
2. Chairman's letter to GOSE - 109 KB
3. Independent planning inspectors published their report on the South East Plan on 29 August following four months of public hearings from November 2006 to March 2007.
4. The inspectors' report is available on the GOSE website
5. The Assembly is a partnership of councils and communities in the South East region. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the region, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
6. The Assembly is made up of 112 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) as well as the New Forest National Park Authority.
7. The Assembly has six roles:
1. Regional Planning
   preparing and delivering the South East Plan
2. Regional Housing
   the Regional Housing Board decides housing investment priorities
3. Regional Transport
   the Regional Transport Board decides transport investment priorities
4. Advocacy
   pressing the South East's interests in London and Brussels
5. Accountability
   scrutinising SEEDA's plans and impact
6. Alignment
   co-ordinating regional policies and decisions.

Our vision is for a distinctive, outward-looking, accessible region of prosperous, sustainable communities, with a high quality of life and environment.

Last updated: 03 October 2007