Pay the developer’s piper and call him an ‘expert’ and get the answer you want?

Our article –   Claims made by “ Your Waverley’ have been rubbished by experts.  has provoked some lively debate. 

Good to see that not everyone is lounging on a sun bed somewhere warm or banging in the tent pegs somewhere wet and windy!

WW on holiday

In a nutshell – The Home Builders Federation (HBF) and the Land Promoters and Developer’s Federation(LDPF) have responded to claims made by some – including ‘Your Waverley – that they are hanging onto land for financial reasons and not building out consents.

This has lead to some councils – including ‘Your Waverley’ not having a five-year land supply. Waverley’s is now down to 4.26 and leaves the borough vulnerable to appeal decisions in favour of developers.

They are now hitting back, fearful that the Government may impose sanctions on them under the new planning rules making their way into the statute books. 

  Here are just a few of the comments we received on our public comments board. There are many more we received privately on contact@waverleyweb.org which are slightly more colourful.

The so-called expert’s report is “nothing but a load of self-centred trite.” The Builders and Developers Federation is nothing but a, mouthpiece for Government.”

One said, let’s face it, developers are getting together to phase their developments so they don’t flood the market with too many properties so they can keep prices high,.”

In response to one question: There are numerous examples of sites not being built out in the borough. Two in Alfold, several in Cranleigh and in Farnham. Some have just been very slow to get builders on site. Sites that were given consent as far back as 2017 are just beginning to show early signs of some movement, others have hoardings around them saying – homes coming soon! 

John Wright-Smith

WELL, THEY WOULD SAY THAT WOULDN’T THEY!

This “expert’s” report was paid for by HBF (Home Builders Federation) and LDPF (Land Promoters and Developer’s Federation) whose member’s contributions make up 13% of all Conservative Party funding (£891k in the first quarter of this year alone)
The Secretary of State, Robert “Bob the Builder” Jenrick even held onto his job after he admitted breaking the law over the Richard Desmond affair. (yes the lunatics have been running the asylum for years) Time to break up this sleazy affair.

Denise Wordsworth
Denise Wordsworth

This is just typical of this Government…they are CONSIDERING sanctions for Developers – Really?? they should IMPOSE sanctions for anything that is not built out within a reasonable time frame and those should be Very Costly. There are so many developers that go for Planning consent only to selling the land on and which then almost always results in delays. This Government runs on a DEVELOPER LEAD policy for Housing with no consideration given to local infrastructure or needs.

Nick Palmer
Nick Palmer

Mmm, but as they say “some permissions will be delayed, re-planned or lapse, and some will deliver homes beyond a five-year horizon”. That’s the point. I’m all in favour of building plenty of inexpensive new homes. But covering Waverley with vacant sites which might or might not get built on sometime over the next 5 years doesn’t seem sensible.

I don’t especially blame developers – naturally, they want to make money, and as a socialist, I always say we should change the system rather than pick on individuals responding to perverse incentives. Having planning permission expires after two years, with the possibility of an extension where work is clearly well underway, would concentrate minds and encourage developers to focus on sites that they really are ready to develop.

Patrick Haveron
Patrick Haveron

21 hours ago·

gravatar.com/patrickhaveron

Due to under-delivery in the last administration, Waverley was asked by the Local Plan inspector to include a 5% buffer to make sure they hit targets, so the principle of this article already applies to Waverley!
In October 2020 Waverley published it had a 5.3-year housing supply. What went wrong?
https://www.waverley.gov.uk/Portals/0/Documents/services/planning-and-building/planning-strategies-and-policies/housing-supply-and-delivery/Five_Year_Housing_Land_Supply_Position_Statement__1_April_2020_.pdf

Alexsandr
Alexsandr

Which sites around here does Waverley Council saying are being sat upon by developers to make more money, has anybody said?

and they continue to flood in.

I would also add –
With Trinity selling DP
Other sites are no longer coming forward such as Milford Golf Course, because of restrictive covenants. Sites being delayed generally
Sites re-submitting new applications because the existing grants of approval are not financially viable because of S106 and CIL – EG – Alfold Garden Centre.

All these sites will need to be removed from the 5 YHLS position statement as they cannot be deemed deliverable.

WBC is due to release the 1st April 2021 position statement. Based on last years position statement this is unlikely to be published until October 2021 so we have a few months to wait. However, with all these sites needing to be removed I suspect the true 5 YHLS position is going to be well under four years.

Will all this mean WBC must provide a 20% buffer to their housing allocation figures. I’m not sure of the figures on supply over the last three years but with under-delivery recently and COVID affecting delivery the outcome will be a disappointment.

Of course, many of us know exactly what went wrong! Donkey’s years of opposition to the development by the Tories of the largest brownfield site in Waverley.
DUNSFOLD PARK
A site that would have secured Waverley’s five-year housing land supply long before now. 
Who was it delayed by? MP’S JEREMY HUNT AND ANNE MILTON and the rabble that called itself ‘Protect Our Waverley.’
A group that disappeared back down the hole it emerged from on the aerodrome’s doorstep. Never to be heard from again following the high court’s ruling.

 

 

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