East Devon secures nearly £2 million for affordable housing

The cash is from payments made by developers

Nearly £2 million has been collected by East Devon District Council from payments made by developers towards affordable housing.

In large parts of the area, housebuilders are required to put affordable houses on half of their developments.

However, a recent trend has been for developers to offer to split this requirement between properties and cash payments to the district council.

Two developments approved last month on land near Globe Hill, Woodbury, offered 35 per cent as affordable housing, and pledged to pay for the equivalent of 15 per cent of their quota for use elsewhere in the district.

East Devon District Council now has £1.8 million from such payments.

“Where a developer pays a commuted sum in lieu of on-site affordable housing, this money is spent by our housing team in acquiring property to add to the council’s housing stock,” a spokesperson for the authority said.

“The Section 106 commuted sums are often combined with right-to-buy receipts.

“EDDC does not currently build its own affordable housing stock, but is looking at doing so in the future, and is carrying out site feasibility assessments.”

Under the council’s planning policy, developments in Axminster, Exmouth, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton and what are call ‘west end’ sites only need 25 per cent allocated as affordable homes.

The ‘west end’ developments are Cranbrook, land adjacent to Pinhoe and north of Blackhorse.

Outside the areas listed above – essentially all other parts of East Devon, including all settlements not listed, coastal and rural areas, and Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth), half of new homes need to be affordable, as long as they are considered to be ‘viable’.