Two developers will be allowed to sell “affordable” homes for shared ownership after Brighton and Hove councillors relaxed the conditions in their planning permissions.
Both developers had struggled to find a registered social landlord – or housing association – to oversee affordable homes for rent in their schemes.
And one had already agreed to hand over £1.2 million cash to Brighton and Hove City Council to fund homes to rent elsewhere in the area.
One of the developers, Crest Nicholson, will now pay £670,000 rather than £1.2 million and will be allowed to sell 15 “affordable” homes for shared ownership at its Artisan flats in Davigdor Road, Hove.
The other, Preston Road Apartments, will be allowed to sell 10 “affordable” homes for shared ownership at the old City College building in Preston Road, Brighton. Originally five of them were to be “affordable “ rented homes.
Housing officers raised concerns about receiving a smaller sum from Crest Nicholson as the previously agreed £1.2 million would make a “valuable contribution to affordable rented homes” in the area.
However, planners advised councillors to agree to change the conditions relating to the recently completed block of 47 flats.
Originally the scheme was to include six affordable rented homes and two for shared ownership.
Labour councillor Mo Marsh told the council’s Planning Committee meeting this afternoon (Wednesday 15 August): “It seems housing strategy and planning don’t agree.
“I don’t want a fight before dawn between our housing and planning colleagues.”
Planning officer Jonathan Puplett said that there would be no affordable housing in the block if councillors rejected the Crest Nicholson proposal.
Mr Puplett said: “We want something (affordable) on the site. If we do not, then the development is all private housing.
“We do not own any sites in this area and our objective is to give balance to the community.”
Goldsmid ward Labour councillor Jackie O’Quinn was sceptical about the changes as she said the private flats were not selling.
She said: “There were quite a low number of affordable units and no housing association was interested
“I do feel very much as do many others in the ward this action is being taken because they are not selling and there is a cashflow problem.
Something needs to be done to allow BHCC to become the RSL for these things
“housing strategy and planning don’t agree” .. surprise, surprise. BHCC operates in disconnected silos and is riddled with inconsistency and contradiction. Left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. It has been clear for years that Housing Associations will NOT manage small pockets of social housing in mixed developments. Hopelessly inefficient and HAs ae not set up to do this. The same thing will happen with the Kingsway Texaco development. The model for providing affordable homes is broken. Contributions to a fund to developed dedicated social housing that can be managed by BHCC is needed.
Brighton council always giving in to builders. Part of their social cleansing policy.
Horrible news.