Developer does not want to pay financial contributions agreed with Mid Sussex District Council because of high building costs

In 2016, the council gave permission for 15 homes to be built at Slaugham Manor, along with another nine in the converted and extended Manor House.

It was agreed at the time that Martin Homes Slaugham Ltd would pay a £645,000 contribution towards affordable housing elsewhere in the district.

This is standard practice with new developments which, for whatever reason, do not include affordable housing. It forms part of what is known as a S106 agreement.

But an application to remove that part of the agreement will be considered by the district council’s planning committee on Thursday (July 11).

A report to the committee said: “The applicants have stated that, because of increasing build costs, it is no longer viable for the scheme to provide the originally specified affordable housing contributions.

“Accordingly, the applicants have requested that the affordable housing contribution is removed from the legal agreement.

“A request has also been made to review the other infrastructure payments associated with the scheme.”

The other agreed payments included: £74,503 for primary education, £80,183 for secondary education, £11,558 for community building, and £15,050 for local community infrastructure.

Officers have recommended that the application be refused.

The report said that, when a planning obligation is more than five years old, the applicant can apply to change it ‘where it no longer serves a useful purpose’.

But the need for affordable housing across the district means it does still serve a purpose.

To view the application, log on to pa.midsussex.gov.uk and search for DM/23/2174.