Plans for 69 new homes at major Dorking housing site refused over lack of affordable properties
Plans to build even more homes on the former Aviva site in Dorking have been thrown out after developers failed to include enough affordable housing.
It is the second time the application has been before councillors after the original plans, which included no affordable homes, were deferred in November.
Then, Mole Valley District Council’s planning officers had recommended the application for 69 homes at the Pixham Lane site be approved – despite there being no affordable housing included.
The updated plan, which included 15 affordable units, was then recommended for refusal because it again fell short of the council’s 40 per cent target – and independent assessors believed a higher mix could feasibly be achieved.
Developers Stonegate Homes (Pixham) maintained it was economically unviable to include any more affordable homes and that rejecting the bid would result in no homes getting built.
They told the meeting: “We genuinely understand this is a very important topic, however critically no two sites are ever the same and while the overarching policy targets are in place the (amount) of affordable housing each individual site can deliver will be different.”
Three different affordability consultant found differing totals could be achieved suggesting, he said, that there will always be some disagreement.
He added: “Within four months we’ve gone from the council’s own retained affordability consultants supporting zero affordable housing to the most recent ones concluding that 40 per cent is achievable.
“With respect this must not be the case of asking the same question until you get the answer you want.”
He said their offer is above what would be required at appeal and would provide 23 per cent of the council’s annual affordable housing in one go.
He added: “Refusal would not help address shortfalls in affordability.”
There have been a series of planning applications already approved on the site originally earmarked to be a new stadium for Dorking Wanderers FC.
Already some 300 new homes on the Pixham Lane site have been approved.
Residents speaking against the plan said: “The developers are clearly trying to maximise the amount of space that is income generating while minimising the amount that isn’t.
“Residents are really concerned about the serious cumulative impacts that all these applications for the Aviva site, plus the developments close by at Station Approach and Lincoln Road will have on the local environment.
“The overall total of around 300 new residential units on this site that have already been agreed is more than sufficient.”