My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Sadiq Khan) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is publishing today the South East plan, the revised regional spatial strategy (RSS) for the south-east of England.

The South East plan forms part of the statutory development plan for every local authority in the region and sets the framework for the production of local development frameworks and local transport plans. It is the spatial plan for the development of the region, and provides the policy framework for employment, housing, transport and the environment. The South East plan is crucial to delivering the Government’s sustainable communities and growth agenda in the region.

The regional spatial strategy replaces regional planning guidance for the south-east (RPG9), which was issued in 2001. It also replaces a number of partial reviews to RPG9 that were carried out since 2001. The single exception is that the part A statement of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands sub-regional strategy issued in March 2005 continues to apply. In the event of any conflict, the more recent document will take precedence.

A draft revision of the regional spatial strategy was submitted to Government in March 2006 by the South East England Regional Assembly. This was tested by an independent panel at an examination in public (EiP) that was held between November 2006 and March 2007. The EiP panel’s report was published in August 2007. Based on the panel’s recommendations, the Government Office for the South East issued the Secretary of State’s proposed changes to the draft RSS in July 2008 and the public consultation closed in October 2008. During the consultation 13,654 comments were made by 5,672 people and organisations. In addition, a 1,700-name petition was submitted.

We have considered all these representations. We have decided that no further major policy changes are required, although amendments and clarifications have been made to various parts of the plan. The result in terms of housing provision is that 32,700 dwellings are to be planned for annually, compared with 33,125 dwellings in the proposed changes document and 28,900 in the draft plan.

The plan therefore represents a step towards addressing housing need in the south-east though falls short of what is likely to be required in the longer term to meet the Government’s housing Green Paper target. I am pleased that the South East England Partnership Board is committed to carrying out a further review of the plan to consider housing growth, including taking account of latest evidence and eco-towns.

Copies of the South East plan are available in the Library of the House and have been provided for all the region’s MPs and MEPs. Copies will be sent today to all local authorities and the South East England Partnership Board. Hundreds of other stakeholders will be informed of how to obtain a copy.