Waverley’s Leader Paul Follows set off the New Year by announcing a strategy to signal more genuinely affordable homes in the borough.

Not the Government’s interpretation of “affordable”, not developers’ idea of “affordable,” but Waverley’s view of what is affordable for its residents.

Speaking at a meeting of the Executive, he described “The Affordable Homes Delivery Strategy” as a “fantastic document.”

“I am pretty sure every single one of you here and a good proportion of our council colleagues, in general, want to ensure we have better and more affordable housing provision.

This document before you introduces a strategy that I am bringing forward tonight to go out to wider public consultation. It also includes evidence on affordability within the borough.”

The core mantra of this document is a straightforward one-line sentence.

Build more, build better, build for life.

“This aligns with our corporate strategy for the provision of quality, energy-efficient housing for our tenants, that does not impact the climate and ensures housing our residents can afford rather than the Government’s definition of  “affordable housing” that we are all so very familiar with.”

He paid tribute to the housing team for all their work to achieve a document he described as “fantastic for what we believe is truly “affordable housing.”

Cllr Steve Williams (Godalming Greens) – Said the document provided the council with the framework for the future and that ‘building for life’ meant building net-zero homes.

It’s good for tenants for our community by satisfying the housing needs and it is good for our sustainability.

Cllr Nick Palmer, the new Portfolio Holder for Housing, paid tribute to the retiring Portfolio Holder Anne Marie Roseman and her colleagues for the important document.

“Councils like us and across Britain are wrestling with the problem of having genuinely affordable housing with the result that many people are paying a completely disproportionate part of their income towards either renting or buying a home. 

Waverley, in particular, is not particularly rich in some areas where we want construction and this strategy presents a really viable path forward that I hope we will all be pleased to support in the coming years.”

The Executive agreed unanimously to recommend to the Full Council that the Strategy be approved and go to public consultation between the 27th January and 24th February 2022. 

You can view the draft document here:

Affordable Homes Delivery Strategy Build more – Build Better – Build for life