News Release : 5 September 2005

SOUTH EAST COUNCILS SEEK VIEWS ON LOCAL HOUSING

County and unitary councils in the South East will be consulting residents in the coming weeks on future levels of house building. This is the next stage in the preparation of the South East Plan, the region’s 20-year planning vision, which is being developed by the South East England Regional Assembly.

Four councils launch public consultations today (5 Sept) – Kent, Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. The consultation period lasts six weeks in each area, but start dates vary. Most councils are providing information on their websites and the Assembly website includes a signpost page, including contact details for each principal council. The following councils are leading on local consultation:

NOTE: Consultation in Milton Keynes is part of a wider ongoing study led by the Milton Keynes Partnership Committee. The outcome will inform the South East Plan, although it is subject to a different timetable.

The Assembly has invited local authorities to advise on the allocation of future levels of house building to district council areas and on local infrastructure requirements. County and unitary councils will be working with the region’s district councils and other stakeholders to consult the public and agree their advice to the Assembly by 9 December.

Consultation responses and sub-regional plans will inform the development of the South East Plan Part 2: Sub-regional Details, which will be considered by the Assembly in early 2006. The full Plan will be submitted to Government by 31 March 2006.

Government will then carry out further formal public consultation and hold a public examination into the Plan’s contents before approving the final version of the South East Plan.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. Extensive region-wide consultation on the South East Plan was carried out from January to April 2005. Consultation responses have been taken into account in an amended version of the Draft South East Plan - Part 1: Core Regional Policies. This document was approved by Assembly members on 13 July 2005 and handed to Government on 29 July 2005.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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).
   
   
4. 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.

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