Policy information sourced from the Waltham Forest Local Plan

13 Delivering Genuinely Affordable Housing

The delivery of 50% of all new homes to be genuinely affordable housing will be achieved by:

A. Requiring all development of 10 or more homes to deliver affordable housing;

B. Working with the Mayor of London to use grant funding to increase affordable housing delivery beyond the level that would otherwise be provided;

C. Adopting a threshold approach to viability.Where proposals meet the following criteria, they will not be required to provide a viability assessment at application stage:

  1. Meet or exceed the threshold level of affordable housing on site without public subsidy. These thresholds are set at:
    • A minimum of 35%; or
    • 50% for public sector land where there is no portfolio agreement with the Mayor; or
    • 50% for Industrial Land (SIL, LSIS, BEA, and non-designated) where the scheme would result in a net loss of industrial capacity.
  2. Are consistent with the Council’s tenure split (see Policy 14 ‘Affordable Housing Tenure’);
  3. Demonstrate that they have sought grant to increase the level of affordable housing;
  4. Are subject to a Section 106 agreement with Early Stage Viability Review, triggered if an agreed level of progress on implementation is not made within two years of the permission being granted (or an alternative period agreed by the Council);

D. Requiring proposals which do not meet the criteria in Part C to follow the Viability Tested Route and submit detailed supporting viability evidence to ascertain the maximum viable level of affordable housing which can be delivered. Where required, viability assessments will be undertaken in line with the Mayor’s Affordable Housing and Viability SPG. These schemes will be subject to:

  1. Early Stage Viability Review if an agreed level of progress on implementation is not made within two years of the permission being granted;
  2. Mid Term Reviews prior to implementation of phases for larger phased schemes; and
  3. A Late Stage Viability Review which is triggered when 75 per cent of the homes in a scheme are sold or let (or an alternative period agreed by the Council);

E. Delivering affordable housing on site, other than in exceptional circumstances where off-site or payment-in-lieu would secure better outcomes in meeting the borough’s housing need; and

F. Seeking affordable housing contributions from alternative housing products (see Policy 18 ‘Other Forms of Housing ‘).

For more information please see the Waltham Forest Local Plan