Devon homebuilders 'must meet' affordable housing levels

'If they can't do it, don't build the houses'

Another South Devon council has taken aim at developers who don’t meet their obligations to provide affordable housing for local families.

Teignbridge councillors will soon vote on a motion which accuses developers of ‘deception’ around their commitments to build affordable homes and play areas.

Now their counterparts in the South Hams have fired their own salvo in the battle to make sure housing developments include enough sufficient affordable properties. 

Discussing their action plan for housing and homelessness, councillors underlined their existing policy for a minimum of 30 per cent of new South Hams' homes to be affordable.

But developers often cite figures which show that it would be unviable for them to meet the 30 per cent threshold.

Cllr John Birch (Lib Dem, Totnes) said on one major local development for almost 200 homes, no affordable housing at all were constructed.

He said: “Because the financial viability study says they are only making £30million, they can’t afford to do it. This is totally unacceptable and we as a council need to resist this approach.

“There is evidence of us being too soft as a council when applying this policy.”

And Cllr Nicky Hopwood (Con, Woolwell) added: “I don’t give a damn if a developer can afford it or not. If they can’t afford it, don’t build the houses there.

“If we are ever going to solve the housing crisis in the South Hams we need to get the 30 per cent. We have a serious shortage.

“We need to say that we as a council will not accept developers saying they can’t afford anything.”

However, council leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Stokenham) pointed out that when the council had turned down developments that failed to meet the threshold, government inspectors had overturned the decisions.

“Sometimes it is out of our hands,” he said. “But the mood of this council is absolutely right.

“We said 30 [per cent]. We mean 30. If you go outside of that you’ve got to have some damn good reasons.”