Council's affordable housing proposals will fail ordinary families
September 18 2007
Alan Whitehead has criticised the Conservative Council’s draft proposals for new housing developments in Southampton. The Conservatives want only the bare minimum of all new housing developments to be required to be affordable to first time buyers.
The Conservatives are proposing that 25% of all new developments over 15 units should be made affordable to first time buyers- the bare minimum they are allowed under national planning regulations.
The original, independent, Council officers’ report proposed 40% of all new developments over 10 units should be made affordable to first time buyers in order to meet the housing needs of city residents.
National government regulations (set out in Planning Policy Statement 3) state that any development over 15 units must have a certain minimum percentage set aside for affordable housing- but the regulations also give room for local authorities to opt for a lower limit (e.g. 10 or 5 units) in areas where demand for affordable housing is high, and there is no doubt that Southampton fits this description.
The original officers’ report uses the same proportions for affordable development as the other authorities comprising the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH), enabling all the authorities to adopt a co-ordinated approach to housing development. If the Conservative amendments are accepted, Southampton would possess the highest threshold for developing affordable housing, and the lowest percentage of affordable housing in new developments, in all of urban south Hampshire.
Dr Whitehead said:
“At a time when demand for affordable housing is so high, it is simply unacceptable that Conservatives have opted for the bare minimum of affordable housing that can be legally sustained and for a worse ratio than other local authorities in Hampshire, which in many instances have less demand for affordable housing than Southampton.
“This decision, if not changed, will lead to further spiralling of house prices locally and will leave thousands of Southampton families without the homes they deserve. I understand Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors are planning to vote against this proposal at the next full council meeting and I very much hope they succeed in overturning the decision.”
What do you think about this story? Email Alan
More information
|
Independent Officers’ Report (backed by Labour councillors & Alan Whitehead) |
Conservatives’ amended proposals |
Size of development over which there must be a proportion designated for affordable housing |
10 units |
15 units |
Percentage of developments which should be affordable |
40% |
25% |
