Homes England refuses to deny it will deliver five per cent fewer affordable homes on huge brownfield regeneration site

At York Council’s corporate services, climate change and scrutiny management mommittee meeting on Monday (Nov 27) corporate director of place Neil Ferris admitted that Homes England could “theoretically” deliver just 15 per cent affordable homes, rather than the 20 per cent advertised.

The York Central project is a 45-hectare site which promises 2,500 homes, 1m sq ft of commercial space and 6,500 jobs, and will contribute an estimated £1.16bn to York’s economy.

But the City of York Council has also pledged to deliver 100 per cent affordable housing for its developments, which can give Homes England some flexibility with how much it delivers.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat group at the City of York Council Coun Nigel Ayre said: “It’s 20 per cent affordable across the whole site, therefore if the council delivers 100 per cent affordable [housing] then that would drop it to probably somewhere around 15 per cent affordable [housing] requirement across the rest.

“That percentage would decrease. The developer could, within the planning permission, deliver fewer affordable homes.”

Mr Ferris said that “theoretically they could” but added that “I think there’s a degree of pragmatism that needs to be taken about Homes England’s ambitions for delivery of higher levels of policy, but clearly you are right in absolute terms.”

Responding to whether they could assure 20 per cent of homes would be affordable, a spokesperson for Homes England said: “The affordable housing across York Central site is to be delivered in line with the requirements of the outline planning permission and the S106 agreement and all landowners have to comply with this.

“The exact details within each phase will be subject to future reserved matters planning applications submitted to the City of York Council.”

Coun Kallum Taylor said 20 per cent affordable homes is “absolutely woeful for publicly owned land” and asked if there is any scope for the 20 per cent figure to be increased, but was told there was not.