Policy information sourced from the Kensington and Chelsea Local Plan

CH2: Affordable Housing

The Council will seek the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing.

To deliver this the Council will require:

  • developments to provide a minimum of 35% of all residential floorspace as affordable housing on sites that provide 650 sq m or more of gross residential floorspace (gross internal area), once the threshold is met all gross residential floorspace is liable for an affordable housing contribution;
  • overall 50% of the affordable housing provision to be affordable housing for rent and 50% to be intermediate including intermediate rent and affordable home ownership products;
  • provision of affordable housing to be on-site unless exceptional circumstances justified by robust evidence exist which support provision off-site or providing a payment in lieu;
  • an application to be made for any ‘off site’ affordable housing concurrently with the main planning application and that the two applications are linked through a s106 agreement or unilateral undertaking;
  • where a qualifying scheme providing 650 sq. m or more gross residential floorspace (gross internal area) does not provide 35% as affordable floorspace on-site, the applicant must demonstrate all of the following:
    • the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing is provided through the provision of an open book financial viability assessment;
    • supporting evidence for the exceptional site circumstances or other public benefits to justify the reduced affordable housing provision;
    • to calculate payments in lieu for affordable housing, two viability assessments comparing residual land values on a site-by-site basis – one reflecting the maximum reasonable amount of affordable housing provision on-site and the second with 100% private housing;
  • affordable housing and market housing to be integrated in any development and have the same external appearance;
  • the affordable and market housing to have equivalent amenity in relation to factors including views, siting, daylight, noise and proximity to open space, playspace, community facilities and shops.

For more information please see the Kensington and Chelsea Local Plan