Policy information sourced from Windsor and Maidenhead Local Plan

HO 3 Affordable Housing

The Council will require all developments for 10 dwellings gross, or more than 1,000 sq. m of residential floorspace, to provide on-site affordable housing in accordance with the following:

  • On greenfield sites providing up to 500 dwellings gross - 40% of the total number of units proposed on the site;
  • On all other sites, (including those over 500 dwellings) – 30% of the total number of units

Within designated rural areas, the Council will require 40% affordable housing from all developments of between 5 and 9 dwellings.

Where a development falls below the size thresholds in 1 or 2 but is demonstrably part of a potentially larger developable area above those thresholds, the Council will require affordable housing on a pro rata basis.

The required affordable housing size and tenure mix shall be provided in accordance with the Berkshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2016, or subsequent affordable housing needs evidence. This currently suggests a split of 45% social rent, 35% affordable rent and 20% intermediate tenure overall.

The delivery of affordable housing will be provided in accordance with the following order of priority:

  • On-site as part of the development and distributed across the development to create a sustainable, balanced community
  • Onanalternativesite,only ifprovision wouldresult ina moreeffectiveuseofavailableresources or would meet an identified housing need, such as providing a better social mix and wider housing choice

If the Council consents to the affordable housing not being provided on-site under clause 5(b) a financial contribution equivalent to the cost of providing the same quantum of affordable housing which would otherwise be sought on site will be required in order to provide affordable housing on an alternative site. Financial contributions will also be required in respect of any fraction of an affordable unit that would be required to meet clauses 1 and 2 of the policy.

Planning obligations will be used to ensure delivery of affordable housing on an alternative site and 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.

Rural Exception Sites

Development proposals for limited affordable housing within the Green Belt, to meet local needs only, will be permitted as an exception where all of the following criteria are met:

  • a demonstrable local community need for affordable housing has been established;
  • the number, size and tenure of the dwellings are suitable to meet the identified need;
  • thesiteandthedevelopmentproposalare well relatedtoanexistingsettlementandnot located in the open countryside;
  • the proposal is designed to respect the characteristics of the local area including the countryside setting, and
  • schools with capacity, health, shops and other community facilities are within reasonable travelling distance.

For more information please see the Local Plan