This week's County Times reported on a press release from Horsham council about the Berkely Homes development, which said that an extra £7.25million 'could' be available for affordable housing.Horsham Labour party's chair, David Hide has responded to this in a letter to the editor, explaining why this new development is not as good as it appears at first glance.
The full text of his letter is reproduced below.
The headline in last week’s County Times massively misrepresents the position with regard to the level of provision of affordable housing likely to be delivered by Berkeley Homes on the development West of Horsham. The developer has not, as the headline implies, unconditionally offered £7.25million to provide affordable housing, and this new proposal does not, as Council Chief executive Tom Crowley states, 'represent a significant change'.
The reality is that the position with regard to the strategic site remains exactly the same as the original application, guaranteed delivery of less than 20 per cent affordable - well below the amount needed to address the increasingly urgent need for affordable homes, and well below the 40 per cent strategically identified by the council as needed on this site.
When the decision on the application was put on hold the councillors claimed that they would negotiate to increase the number delivered on the site west of Horsham, they have clearly failed to do this.
This review mechanism is a red herring intended to protect the developer’s profits; their main motivation, as demonstrated in their claim that the original requirement for forty per cent affordable was not financially viable in light of falling house prices.
The reality is that local prices are now at a level which is the same as, or above, that seen when the council decided on its strategy for this site. Despite this the developer is still only prepared to shift from its initial offer if increased profits can be guaranteed.
Surely a much better outcome for the residents of Horsham would be for the Council to negotiate a deal that would guarantee 40 per cent affordable housing throughout each phase of the development unless an independent review demonstrated a significantly detrimental fall in house prices.
This development is cited in council literature as having a strategic role in meeting the council’s affordable housing target. This new proposal is an offer to fund 'virtual affordable housing' at some time hence, on as yet unidentified land, if the developer makes sufficient profits.
We remain unconvinced of any current need for a change in the council’s published housing strategy with regard to this site. We therefore continue to urge the council to reject this proposal at this Tuesday’s meeting, particularly in view of their claim in past discussions that alternative sites for housing development are scarce, hence the strategic importance of this site. We urge the council to return to the negotiating table and deliver a proposal that will unequivocally deliver the homes required.
David Hide
Chair Horsham Labour Party