Object
Proposed Submission Core Strategy
Representation ID: 20967
Received: 09/11/2011
Respondent: Strategic Land Kent Ltd
Legally compliant? Yes
Sound? No
Duty to co-operate? Not specified
The 40% affordable housing figure is too onerous as an inflexible percentage. This should be a target or goal in order to provide more flexibility for schemes to be commercially viable. The threshold of 5 dwellings is too low and should be set at a higher level of say 14 which in recent years has been the norm. Currently, the proposals as set out will stop housing coming forward and there needs to be a more liberal attitude to creating a workable policy. At the proposed level landowners will not release their land and the social housing provision will decrease.
We wish to comment on point (iv) relating to 'Rural Areas'. In our view the 40% affordable housing figure is too onerous as an inflexible percentage. This should be set out as a target or goal in order to provide more flexibility for schemes to be commercially viable. The threshold of 5 dwellings is also too low and this should be set at a higher level of say 14 which in recent years has been the norm in most Districts. Currently, the proposals as set out will stop housing coming forward and there needs to be a more liberal attitude to creating a workable policy. At the proposed level landowners will not release their land and the social housing provision will decrease.