Affordable home figures repeatedly below council target
The number of affordable homes built in the Maidstone borough fell below council targets by more than 800 during eight years, it has been revealed, as councillors approved a blueprint to help fix the shortfall. Expensive homes in the villages and small towns in the borough mean that many young couples and families have been “forced to move away” in search of affordable accommodation, councillors were told ahead of Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC’s) strategic planning and infrastructure committee meeting on Tuesday.
Members voted to adopt the council’s final draft of The Affordable and Local Needs Supplementary Planning
Document (SPD), which was the subject of consultation last year.
The SPD is intended to “facilitate the delivery of truly affordable homes”, provide certainty for housebuilders and registered providers about the council’s expectations and improve social mobility and deprivation.
The council’s local plan, adopted in 2017, committed to producing the SDP and it will also be taken into account when planning applications are decided.
Between 2011 and 2019, 1,744 new affordable homes were delivered in the Maidstone borough, equating to 218 units per year, which is below the target of 322 per year, as identified in the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), produced in 2014.
The SDP reads: “This is a significant need for the borough and a clear justification for the council to seek affordable dwellings through new development schemes.”
Explaining the shortfall, MBC said: “The SHMA (January 2014), was arrived at independently of any consideration of supply-side issues.
“The assessment did not take in to account constraints on development, such as the availability of land, viability of development, infrastructure or environmental impacts. These factors have all played a part in the ability of the council to meet this target.”
The council has commissioned a new SHMA, but the release date is not known.
It plans to develop its own affordable homes, investing £30m in 200 social rented homes, to be delivered within a five year period.
Suitable sites are being pursued.
When developers apply to build sites with more than 11 residential units, the council requires affordable homes to be built by the developer.
In the Maidstone urban area, 30% of the homes on the proposed sites should be affordable while in the countryside and larger villages it is 40%.
“In exceptional circumstances, off-site provision will be sought.
The largest need in the borough is for social rent, with the discount calculated by the national average rent, earnings in the county and the value of the property.
It is ‘much lower” than ‘affordable rents’, another type of affordable housing, which must not exceed 80% of gross market rent but can generate more investment in new affordable housing.
The council also supports using rural exception sites; small plots which would not normally be released for housing development, but can be used for affordable housing. People with links to the area will be prioritised.
As well as the provision of social rented homes, discounted open market units “would be particularly suited to helping local people’ on the housing ladder”.
The discount can be adjusted to suit local salary levels and will remain applicable on future sales.
Cllr Derek Mortimer, chairman of the communities, housing and environment committee said the blueprint “goes some way to challenging the the housing crises.
Cllr Lottie Parfitt-Reid, asked how the ‘current economic climate’ affected the report. She said because of coronavirus more affordable homes could be needed. Updated figures for affordable homes will be addressed in the Local Plan Review.