Affordable homes plan cut

A residential development of 180 houses at Clipstone is set to go ahead after the affordable housing part of the application was reduced from 54 to just seven units.
The housing development for 180 dwellings on land off Clipstone Drive is shown as site 2 on this diagram.The housing development for 180 dwellings on land off Clipstone Drive is shown as site 2 on this diagram.
The housing development for 180 dwellings on land off Clipstone Drive is shown as site 2 on this diagram.

Newark and Sherwood district Council has permitted an application to reduce the affordable housing provision on the site at Clipstone Drive from 30 percent to four per cent so the project can go ahead.

The applicant Retail Venture Ltd asked for the change in the original 106 agreement, claiming the original contribution was unviable for the scheme to continue.

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The new deal means the firm will pay £238,000 for affordable housing, equal to seven units to be built off site instead of the 54 originally proposed as part of the development.

A viability report showed that even without the provision of affordable housing the scheme would show a ‘negative viability’ of minus £668,000 after the proposed Section 106 infrastructure contributions of £627,973 were to be paid.

Other contributions include community facilities, off site sports provision education and libraries.

The District Council’s core Strategy states that the authority will seek to secure 30 per cent of new housing provision as affordable housing on proposals of five or more dwellings.

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But in her report recommending the application, deputy chief executive Kirsty Cole said:

“Overall the proposal falls short of the policy requirement to secure the required level of affordable housing on site.

“Taking into account the other infrastructure requirements and the overall site viability, on balance I consider it reasonable to accept such a shortfall so as not to inhibit the development and to ensure the delivery of a sustainable housing development which contributes towards the council’s five year housing supply in accordance with the national planning policy framework and planning policy guidance.”