Policy information sourced from the Guildford Local Plan: Strategy and Sites

H2: Affordable homes

As well as providing and managing affordable homes ourselves, the Council will work with registered providers, developers and landowners to increase the number of affordable homes in the borough to contribute to meeting identified needs. These will be provided on developments providing solely affordable housing either on public sector-owned land or developments by registered providers.

The Council will also seek affordable homes on sites providing 11 or more homes (gross), or where dwellings would have a combined gross internal floorspace of more than 1,000 square metres. The Council will seek at least 40% of the homes on these sites as affordable homes.

In Designated Rural Areas, the threshold where we will seek an affordable housing contribution of at least 40% of the homes on these sites will be on sites providing more than 5 dwellings. For developments of between 6 and 10 dwellings inclusive (gross), a financial contribution in lieu of on-site provision of affordable housing will be sought which is of broadly equivalent value relative to on-site provision.

The tenure and number of bedrooms of the affordable homes provided on each qualifying site must contribute, to the Council’s satisfaction, towards meeting the mix of affordable housing needs identified in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2015, or subsequent affordable housing needs evidence. This currently includes a tenure split of at least 70% Affordable Rent, with the remainder being other forms of affordable housing. A minimum of 10% of the affordable homes provided on each site under this policy must be available for affordable home ownership, except where an exemption applies in the NPPF. Affordable Rent must be no more than the maximum level set out in our most recent housing guidance or strategy.

Affordable housing contributions may be provided off-site, or by payment in lieu where the Council agrees that on site provision and management would be impractical due to size and / or location of the development. Off-site provision or payment in lieu is expected to enable the same amount of additional affordable housing as would have been delivered on site. The agreed off-site provision must be completed before 50% of the market homes are occupied unless otherwise agreed by the Council. On developments in designated rural areas of between 6 and 10 dwellings inclusive (gross), the commuted payment in lieu of on-site affordable housing provision will be payable after completion of the units within the development.

If developers satisfactorily demonstrate that providing the amount of affordable housing required by this policy would not be economically viable, the Council will consider the following to assist with delivering a scheme: