New Forest District Council approves request by Taylor Wimpey to reduce affordable homes a development in Hightown Road, Ringwood, to 28%
COUNCILLORS have approved a developer’s request to reduce the amount of affordable homes at a Ringwood development.
As reported in the A&T, Taylor Wimpey said its 400-home development in Hightown was no longer viable and asked to reduce the affordable properties from half to 28%.
The company’s outline proposal for land north of Hightown Road, Hightown, was approved by New Forest District Council’s planning committee in March 2023.
However, the application was brought back to a meeting of the committee on Wednesday due to the reduction in affordable homes, which was approved by seven votes to one. There was one abstention.
Because the application is in outline, the actual housing mix, distribution of affordable housing across the site and types of properties is unknown – but Taylor Wimpey said 28% of them would be for social rent and affordable ownership.
Cllr John Sleep urged members to agree the application ahead of increased planning targets being introduced from the government.
He said: “Thirty to 35 dwellings per hectare will be out of the window very soon. I caution anyone refusing this because it’s not going to stay the same for much longer.”
Cllr Philip Down said the committee had to accept the advice of officers: “It is a balancing act and I’m not entirely happy, but I am mindful that this has to go ahead because the the benefit, on balance, appear to be outweighing the harms.”
Cllr Jack Davies proposed the application be refused, adding: “I think the fact of matter is we have a policy about affordable housing and we should stick to it.
“It’s not a small reduction – this is almost half they said they could deliver. Quite frankly, I think they are taking the mickey.”
Cllr Richard Frampton queried Taylor Wimpey’s estimate of the land – at £12.9m – which is yet to be bought by the firm.
He added: “The viability study which has been put forward to us is at odds with our own experts. The applicant has used a figure which is not quantifiable, they have not yet bought the land – they have plucked a figure out that we dispute.
“[The application] completely ignores the Ringwood Neighbourhood Plan, which is a very modern and up-to-date assessment – and that actually went to a referendum, so that is the will of the people of Ringwood.
“We have got to build, we have to got hit our numbers, but it has got to work for the people in the area. On balance it is against so many of our policies.
A recommendation to refuse the application, proposed by Cllr Davies, was lost by three votes to four.