Affordable Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to increase developer contributions to affordable housing.

Christopher Pincher: We intend to reform the current approach to developer contributions by creating a new, single system, the Infrastructure Levy. This new Levy would be a flat rate, value based charge, set nationally, at either a single rate, or at area specific rates, and charged on the final value of a development. The new Levy would be able to fund both affordable housing and supporting infrastructure. Our proposals are set out in our White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ which was published on 6 August and is out to consultation until 29 October.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-07-22/78851 

Housing: Construction – Parliamentary Written Answer

Marco Longhi: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to strengthen the rights of local communities on section 106 agreements. 

Christopher Pincher: The Government has introduced a requirement for all local authorities that receive developer contributions, including from section 106 agreements, to publish an annual Infrastructure Funding Statement. The statements, which must first be published by 31 December 2020 should identify income and spend on infrastructure and affordable housing and the choices local authorities have made about how future contributions will be used. This transparency will help local people to understand what contributions are being collected towards infrastructure. The neighbourhood allocation of the Community Infrastructure Levy also enables communities to have a say in how funds should be used to help support their local area.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-03-16/30036

Public Are Positive towards Contribution and Value of Social Housing

The British public are positive about the contribution and value of social housing according to an Ipsos MORI poll for #HousingDay 2014. Ipsos MORI found that 82% of those not renting from a social landlord agree social housing is important because it helps people on lower incomes get access to housing which wouldn’t be affordable in the private rented sector. And by five to one, the public agree rather than disagree that social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty in Britain. Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Developer Wins Appeal Against Affordable Housing Contribution

A developer of a housing scheme in Oldham won’t have to make a £283,000 contribution towards affordable housing after a planning inspector allowed an appeal because it was no longer economically viable to make the contribution. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council granted planning permission to developer Tamewater Developments Limited in 2008 for a 46-home scheme. Under the permission, Tamewater was obliged to make four instalments of payments to the council in lieu of the provision of affordable housing. The developer had already made the first payment of £100,000 but applied to have the remaining contributions removed under provisions introduced by the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013. These provisions allow for applications to be made to vary affordable housing requirements contained in a planning obligation if those requirements make the scheme unviable. Read more on 24dash.