Affordable housing removed from Fairlight development plans

On Thursday (July 16), Rother District Council’s planning committee will consider proposals to build 16 houses at the former market garden site in Lower Waites Lane.

The scheme was previously considered at a planning committee meeting in March 2018, where it was granted permission subject to a legal agreement, which would have required developer Gemselect Ltd to provide six affordable, shared-ownership homes as part of the wider development. 

However, the developer now says providing affordable housing would make the scheme non-viable, largely because of what they describe as rising development costs.

In a report to be considered by the committee, a Rother planning officer said: “The applicant has reconsidered their position and, despite the concession they were willing to make previously, are now more adamantly of the view that the provision of any affordable housing would make the scheme unviable. 

“Therefore, a 100 per cent market housing scheme is now proposed.”

Gemselect Ltd’s viability arguments have been backed by an independent assessment. As a result, planning officers are recommending the scheme be approved without the provision of affordable housing. 

The loss of the affordable housing provision has seen objections raised by several Fairlight residents.

However, planning officers say these concerns do not contradict the conclusions of the independent viability assessment. 

More muted concerns were raised by Fairlight Parish Council, which fell short of objecting to the scheme.

A spokesman for the parish council said: “Fairlight Parish Council regrets that the 40 per cent  affordable housing units agreed at the outset by the developer are now considered non-viable. 

“However, it reluctantly accepts officers’ advice that the scheme would not be viable with affordable housing as without this site it may create pressure to build extra dwellings on other sites within Fairlight.”

The shared ownership homes agreed in 2018 already fell below the level of affordable housing normally sought by council policy, but were  accepted as the scheme was considered to be “only marginally viable”. 

While the new recommended legal agreement would not include affordable housing, developers would still be required to pay towards off-site road improvements at the junction of Lower Waites Lane and Smugglers Way and the creation of reptile relocation site.

Developers would also be liable to make a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment, expected to generate approximately £233,685 towards local improvements.

For further information see application reference RR/2017/457/P on the Rother District Council planning website.

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