Policy information sourced from the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan
Policy 11 Affordable Housing (Strategic Policy)
A. The Council is seeking to deliver 50 per cent of the total number of habitable rooms as affordable housing, on a range of types of sites across the borough. A contribution towards affordable housing will be expected on all housing proposals.The affordable housing being provided should be genuinely affordable for the majority of residents in the borough. 221 Richmond upon Thames Local Plan Track Changes Version for Environment Committee Sept 2025
B. Where on site affordable housing is provided, the Council will require a minimum affordable housing tenure split of 70% Rented Affordable housing and maximum 30% Intermediate housing by habitable room. The Intermediate housing will be delivered in line with the Council’s Intermediate Housing Policy Statement. Where on site provision is required, an application should be accompanied by evidence of meaningful discussions with Registered Providers which have informed the proposed tenure, size of units and design to address local priorities.
C. Developments involving the provision of affordable housing will be expected to achieve the same high quality standards as the private housing element of the scheme in terms of accessibility, internal space requirements, external appearance and design quality and provision of private outdoor space.
D. The Council will not accept the loss of any existing affordable housing as set out in Policy 14. Loss of Housing, and will expect any estate regeneration to provide the equivalent amount and tenure of affordable housing by habitable room, and where possible, achieve an uplift in provision.
Major Sites (capable of providing 10 dwellings or more (gross))
E. For all major developments, applicants can follow the Fast Track Route by providing the relevant threshold level of affordable housing and meeting other Local Plan requirements.
F. Schemes that do not meet the threshold level, or require public subsidy to do so, will be required to submit detailed viability information through the Viability Tested Route. This will assess the maximum level of affordable housing (and any other required planning contributions) that a scheme can deliver in cases where the threshold level of affordable housing set out below cannot be met.
Fast Track Route (FTR)
1. In line with Policy H5 (Threshold approach to applications) of the London Plan, the threshold approach applies to major development proposals which trigger affordable housing requirements.The threshold level of affordable housing on gross residential development is:
- a minimum of 35 per cent; or
- 50 per cent for public sector land where there is no portfolio agreement with the Mayor; or
- 50 per cent for Locally Important Land & Business Parks (the borough’s Locally significant Industrial Sites (LSIS) as identified in Policy 24) and any non-designated industrial land that comes forward for residential uses in accordance with London Plan Policy E7 Industrial intensification, co-location and substitution where the scheme would result in a net loss of industrial capacity
2. To follow the Fast Track Route, applications must meet the criteria set out in London Plan Policy H5(C).The Council considers the tenure mix of 70% Rented Affordable housing as a minimum and 30% Intermediate housing as a maximum, and higher levels of Rented Affordable housing are encouraged. Applicants should ensure they seek all opportunities to secure grant to maximise the number of affordable habitable rooms onsite.
3. Fast tracked applications are not required to provide a viability assessment at application stage. To encourage delivery and determine whether additional affordable housing can be provided, the requirement for an early-stage viability review will be triggered if an agreed level of progress on implementation is not made within 18 months of the permission being granted (or a period agreed by the Council).
Viability Tested Route (VTR)
4. On all Locally Important Land & Business Parks (the borough’s Locally Significant Industrial Sites (LSIS) as identified in Policy 24) and any non-designated industrial land and public land sites at least 50% on-site provision is sought. Where possible, a greater proportion should be achieved. 222 Richmond upon Thames Local Plan Track Changes Version for Environment Committee Sep2025
5. On all other sites the Council expect a minimum of 50% affordable housing with a minimum affordable housing tenure split of 70% Rented Affordable housing and maximum 30% Intermediate housing by habitable room.
6. Any application triggering affordable housing is expected to be accompanied by evidence of meaningful discussions with Registered Providers as set out in part (B) and explored funding opportunities to maximise the affordable housing to meet local priorities, and informed the capital value of the affordable housing.
7. Any proposals submitted through the Viability Tested Route that provide less than 50% affordable housing will be expected to provide detailed site-specific viability evidence in a standardised and accessible format to justify affordable housing has been maximised on-site. The cost of any independent review must be covered by the applicant.
8. If an application is following the Viability Tested Route where the site proposes a non-policy compliant level of affordable housing and is granted permission it will be subject to detailed review mechanisms (early, mid and late stage) throughout the period up to full completion of the development, including an advanced stage review mechanism.
9. In exceptional circumstances, where affordable housing cannot practically be provided on site, or off-site provision would create a better contribution (in terms of quantity and/or quality), the Council may accept provision of affordable housing off-site in the same area.
Small Sites (1-9 dwellings (gross))
G. On sites below the threshold of ‘capable of ten or more units gross’, a financial contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund commensurate with the scale of development, in line with the sliding scales set out below and in the Affordable Housing SPD. If a site proposes a non-policy compliant level of affordable housing, the cost of any independent review must be covered by the applicant.
| No of units proposed (gross) | % Affordable Housing | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| For conversions and reversions (where there is no loss of former employment floorspace and for listed buildings) | For new build development or redevelopment (where there is no loss of former employment floorspace) | For any units replacing employment floorspace* | |
| 9 | 36% | 45% | 90% |
| 8 | 32% | 40% | 80% |
| 7 | 28% | 35% | 70% |
| 6 | 24% | 30% | 60% |
| 5 | 20% | 25% | 50% |
| 4 | 16% | 20% | 40% |
| 3 | 12% | 15% | 30% |
| 2 | 8% | 10% | 20% |
| 1 | 4% | 5% | 10% |
* Use Classes E (g) (i), (ii) (iii), B2, B8 and employment generating Sui Generis uses – this is applicable to all housing proposals in employment land. On sites that are capable of fewer than 10 units gross, by conversion or redevelopment, and it has already been agreed by the Council that on-site affordable housing is not suitable, offsite provision or an offsite contribution will be accepted.
For more information please see the Richmond Upon Thames Local Plan