Despite the usual protestations of “we are between a rock and a hard place,” and “what a shame we cannot even provide a few affordable homes” and even a sour snipe at Cranleigh developers from Councillor Mary Forysewski that “at least these Haslemere one and two bedroom properties will be cheaper than those being built in Cranleigh where a small proportion of affordable homes were being built by developers of £1.2m and £1.7m properties – “for heaven knows how much profit.”
So because these poor Haslemere developers can only manage to scrape together a profit of between 15% and 25% – according to another band of EXPERTS, employed at enormous expense by ‘Your Waverley’ there will be no “affordable homes,” insufficient car parking spaces, little or no disabled spaces, insufficient electric charging points and nowhere for anyone to park a mobility scooter to take them to the nearby Haslemere station! And, possibly only food bins, because…
THE SITE IS NOT VIABLE! GET IT?
Councillors were given the financial information on PINK papers, for the uninitiated, information that is not for public consumption, because we might come to a different conclusion? Suffice to say The Developers convinced the planners that:
“in culmination with costs to remediate the contamination from the land, the planning infrastructure contributions, abnormal costs (such as the provision of a new substation and contiguous piling and acoustic fence provision along the railway boundary) and the quality build costs, the proposal would be unable to viably support on-site affordable housing provision or a commuted sum.”
But, they didn’t convince councillors including Gerry Hyman; John Ward; Liz Townsend; and even chairman David Else and certainly not Godalming’s new boy Paul Follows: Who argued the application should be refused until the developer could come up with at least a few affordable homes!
The Council appointed independent viability consultants to analyse the developer’s figures, unfortunately, details are exempt and for Councillors Eyes Only!
What does it cost to cover the Councils’s infrastructure asks? A mere £200K on a £11M project!
Transport Contribution: (SCC) £41,640; SPA Contribution for a National Trust Warden in Hindhead! £40,000; Education: (Early Years) (SCC) £30,287;Education:(Primary again SCC) £42,969; Play Areas (WBC) £25,312.50; Playing Pitches (WBC)£27,562.50; Recycling (WBC) £99.50 for food bins:
Total £207,870.50.
The good news is: Councillors have asked officers that in future they would like to be a great deal smarter – yes SMARTER, about the 106 contributions provided by developers towards infrastructure. SMARTER! We nearly fell out of our web. After consenting thousands of homes across the borough they decide that now, while the stable door is closing they want to be smarter?
Why?
Because soon it is to be replaced by something called CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) which is three times higher, which if applied to most developments in the borough will almost certainly result in NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVISION ON SITES IN FUTURE!!
This was one of the most infuriating JPC’s I’ve attend this far – and the second 0% affordable following the Woolmead. I don’t want to fill your comments areas with rants, but see below!
https://www.facebook.com/135691707151701/posts/242413559812848/
At last! The residents of Waverley are waking up and smelling the foul odour that is coming out of Waverley Towers. Let’s hope they stay awake long enough to put some opposition into a council that reached its Sell-By-Date a long time ago. Thank you for having the guts to stand up for the people who elected you Councillor Follows, they have trodden all over Councillor Hyman who has held up a banner for Farnham people until he must be punch-drunk. Don’t stop highlighting what is going on – because there are many people all over the borough of Waverley who are right behind you.
And… in response to someone who asked why Tory councillors don’t respond to the Waverley Web – we can tell you why? They have a three-line whip against commenting. However, we hear from the more gutless among them privately quite regularly!!
Let’s all watch the Webcast of the Eastern Area Planning Committee tonight and watch the planners pi** off all the residents of Ewhurst?
In any properly run Council it would be made clear to potential developers what should be included in their costings BEFORE the planners make their recommendation to approve the project. Feedback from the Council would/should have included “ costings to remediate the contamination from the land, the planning infrastructure contributions, abnormal costs (such as the provision of a new substation and contiguous piling and acoustic fence provision along the railway boundary) and the quality build costs, the proposal would be unable to viably support on-site affordable housing provision or a commuted sum.” as part of the project and to have let it stand or fall on that basis. It seems that the planners are only doing half their job at best and only that their only consideration is pushing through numbers according to government edict. Obfuscation, poor training for junior staff, secret meetings with developers (no doubt in realising many of the dodgy deals including the non-payment of s106 or CIL) only reinforce that view. This Council should be ashamed of its performance.
This Is An Outrage