MP backs homes fight
Councillors’ fury as developers attempt to ‘renege’ on affordable housing deal
NEWBURY MP Laura Farris has said she will answer Hungerford Town Council’s call to arms over the latest twist in a 100-homes development.
Councillors this week issued a battle cry to residents, urging them to formally oppose developers’ efforts to renege on an ‘affordable homes’ agreement.
They poured scorn on claims that the coronavirus pandemic had made the affordable homes impossible to provide.
Councillor John Downe accused developers of “trying to eliminate any social benefit and stuff it all in their pockets”.
The council formally sought Mrs Farris’ support in the battle.
She told the Newbury Weekly News: “I’m very supportive of the town council in this.
“I, too, was led to believe there would be affordable housing and that this would benefit the community.”
Planning permission for the homes off Salisbury Road was granted – in the face of fierce local opposition – subject to the provision of 40 affordable homes, comprising 28 rented and 12 offered as shared ownership.
But now developers insist those would make the entire project unviable and want planners to jettison the proviso.
The town council this week wrote to planners stating: “This council is appalled and alarmed at the attempt being made by Bewley Homes, Wates Management and the owners of the land south of Salisbury Road to deprive West Berkshire families of much-needed social rented homes, preferring instead to extract every possible pound of profit for themselves.
“They are seeking to exploit further the privilege they were granted through the planning system of building homes on this virgin AONB [Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty] land and wish to renege on the formal contractual commitments they signed in 2017 in order to secure the planning consent for this site.
“Their application is a betrayal of the assurances they have given to the town at meetings over the last few years and confirmed in their 2017 press release.”
The town council added: “[We] call on all residents to express their concerns in writing to West Berkshire Council regarding the future impact for families and young people in West Berkshire.
“We will also be asking [Mrs Farris] to support our position with her own representation to [the district council].”
At the virtual meeting of the full town council on Monday night, councillors said affordable homes were desperately needed, and the only redeeming feature of the project.
Town mayor Helen Simpson reminded the meeting that a Bewley Homes spokesman had dismissed energy-saving proposals as “toys” and said: “So we had to suck that up. And now the goal posts have moved.”
Councillors said statistics had showed Hungerford was now more desirable than ever as a place to live, and that house prices would reflect that.
Their statement added: “As far as we can see from the figures publicly disclosed, the applicants are likely to make even more profit in 2021 on the development than they would have when they signed the contractual obligations in 2017... claims of insufficient financial viability due to changed economic circumstances are without substance.”
Around 50 residents have lodged formal objections to the proposed amendment and the town council called for more.
The application to vary the condition can be viewed, and commented on, by visiting the planning section of the district council’s website and using the reference20/01023/MDOPO .