The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has welcomed figures in the Government’s panel of inspectors’ report on the draft South East Plan, as a key step in ensuring the region achieves its ambition of sustainable prosperity over the next 20 years and retains its position as the powerhouse of the UK economy.

Commenting on the reports findings, SEEDA’s chief executive, Pam Alexander reiterated SEEDA's belief that "major investment in social, environmental and economic infrastructure is a critical requirement for the success of a more ambitious housing programme."

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Ms Alexander said she was pleased that "in recognising SEEDA’s arguments for higher house-building figures and targeted investment in the region's infrastructure to support continued economic success, the inspector's report will be instrumental in helping us to meet the challenging targets in the Regional Economic Strategy (RES) for global competitiveness, smart growth and sustainable prosperity."

In order to achieve the necessary levels of provision, investment in infrastructure is essential to free up development sites for employment and housing, especially on land which already has planning permission and to support the social and environmental fabric of the region.

Welcoming the inspectors' praise for the "pioneering work" carried out by SEEDA and the Regional Assembly to develop both a single implementation plan for the RES and the South East Plan, and a Regional Infrastructure Fund to bring forward key investment in infrastructure, Ms Alexander said: "We will continue to work closely together to create new mechanisms with Government to bring forward the investment needed to create sustainable communities."

(JM/SP)