Policy information sourced from Runnymede Local Plan

SL20: Affordable Housing

Over the period of the Local Plan the Council will seek to deliver 30% of all net additional dwellings as affordable units of which about 70% will be provided as Affordable/Social Rent and 30% provided as other forms of affordable housing.

Development proposals of 10 or more (net) additional dwellings will be expected to provide 35% of dwellings as affordable units with a tenure split as above which includes 10% of homes for affordable home ownership (starter homes, discounted market sales housing and/or other products which provide affordable routes to home ownership in line with the definition contained in the 2019 NPPF).

In seeking affordable housing provision, the Council will have regard to scheme viability and take a negotiated approach to the final percentage of affordable housing delivered and the type and tenure split of affordable units. Where 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 a financial contribution in lieu of on-site provision where it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that on-site provision is neither feasible nor viable.

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 Showpeople Plots.

For more information please see the Local Plan