Policy information sourced from Spelthorne Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document

HO3: Affordable Housing

The Council’s target for affordable housing is that 40% of all net additional dwellings completed over the plan period, 2006-2026, should be affordable. This will be achieved by:

  • having regard to the circumstances of each site, negotiating for a proportion of up to 50% of housing on sites to be affordable where the development comprises 15 or more dwellings (gross) or the site is 0.5 hectares or larger irrespective of the number of dwellings. The Council will seek to maximise the contribution to affordable housing provision from each site having regard to the individual circumstances and viability, including the availability of any housing grant or other subsidy, of development on the site. Negotiation should be conducted on an ‘open book’ basis,
  • encouraging registered social landlords to bring forward smaller sites of one to fourteen dwellings (gross) consisting wholly of affordable housing regardless of site size.

Provision within any one scheme may include social rented and intermediate units, subject to the proportion of intermediate units not exceeding 35% of the total affordable housing component.

Where affordable housing is provided on any site the Council will seek to ensure that it is maintained in perpetuity, normally by means of a legal agreement, for the benefit of those groups requiring access to such housing. Where such a restriction is lifted, for any reason, the Council will require any subsidy to be recycled for alternative affordable housing provision. Where the Council considers a site is suitable for affordable housing and a reasonable provision could be made, planning permission will be refused if an applicant is unwilling to make such provision.

In proposals for housing development a financial contribution in lieu of provision for affordable housing will only be acceptable where on-site provision is not achievable and where equivalent provision cannot readily be provided by the developer on an alternative site.

Where, as a means of avoiding the requirement to provide affordable housing, a proposed development site is subdivided so as to be below the site size threshold, or is not developed to its full potential so as to be below the number of dwellings threshold, planning permission will be refused.

For more information please see the Core Strategy and Policies Development Plan Document