Policy information sourced from Brentwood Local Plan

HP05: Affordable Housing

The Council will require the provision of 35% of the total number of residential units to be provided and maintained as affordable housing within all new residential development sites on proposals of 10 or more (net) units.

In considering the suitability of affordable housing, the Council will require that:

  • the tenure split be made up of 86% Affordable/Social Rent and 14% as other forms of affordable housing (this includes starter homes, intermediate homes and shared ownership and all other forms of affordable housing as described by national guidance or legislation) or regard to the most up to date housing evidence;
  • the affordable housing be designed in such a way as to be seamlessly integrated to that of market housing elements of a scheme (in terms of appearance, build quality and materials) and distributed throughout the development so as to avoid the over concentration in one area; and
  • the type, mix, size and cost of affordable homes will meet the identified housing need as reported by the Council’s most up-to-date housing evidence.

In seeking affordable housing provision, the Council will have regard to scheme viability; only where robust viability evidence demonstrates that the full amount of affordable housing cannot be delivered, the Council will negotiate a level of on-site affordable housing that can be delivered taking into account the mix of unit size, type and tenure and any grant subsidy received.

The Council will only accept off-site provision, or an appropriatefinancial contribution in lieu of on-site provision where it can be robustly demonstrated that on-site provision is not possible and that, in the individual case and to the satisfaction of the Council, the objective of creating mixed and balanced communities can be effectively and equally met through either off-site provision or an appropriate financial contribution in lieu or a combination of the two.

Where a site has been sub-divided or is not being developed to its full potential so as to fall under the affordable housing threshold, the Council will seek a level of affordable housing to reflect the provision that would have been achieved on the site as a whole had it come forward as a single scheme for the allocated or identified site.

Planning obligations will be used to ensure that the affordable housing will remain at an affordable price for future eligible households, or for the subsidy to be recycled to alternative affordable housing provision.

The requirement to provide affordable housing will apply to all residential development falling under use class C3 with the exception of Gypsy & Traveller Pitches or Travelling Showman Plots.

For more information please see the Local Plan