Plans to build new luxury flats in Berkshire’s ‘poshest village’ have been blasted as ‘woeful’ – as none of them will be sold at discount, affordable rates.
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead councillors have approved the plans to build 14 flats along with new offices on London Road in Sunningdale – recently branded one of the UK’s ‘poshest’ villages by the Telegraph newspaper.
But the scheme was challenged for not providing any of the flats as ‘affordable housing’ – meaning they could be provided as social housing or at less than market rates. Instead, developers have agreed to pay some £241,000 towards housing elsewhere.
The plans were debated by the council’s Windsor and Ascot development management committee on Thursday, May 9.
Councillor Sayonara Luxton said: “Sunningdale has got bigger housing and flats are very good for starter families. Affordable is one thing we don’t have down there.”
And councillor Mark Wilson said the £241,000 was ‘completely inadequate’ and ‘woeful’.
But council planning officers said developers had told them they would not be able to make a profit if any of the flats were offered at less than market rates – making the scheme unviable.
Planning officers said developers had submitted a ‘viability’ assessment showing they couldn’t afford to provide discount-rate flats, and these had been studied by the council’s own surveyors.
They said: “Developers need to be allowed to make a reasonable profit otherwise no one would build anything. If you’re not going to generate profit from a development then you just wouldn’t do it.”
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