We are sad to report that developers are still circumventing their requirement to include at least 10% of affordable housing in new developments in Sandwell. The latest example is The Parade, off Hall Green Road in West Bromwich. Despite assurances that it would include affordable housing the developer is now citing viability as an excuse for not including any on the estate. (This is based on out-of-date house prices that favours developers as average house prices have risen by over 20% since.) This will make it another of the numerous segregated mews they are imposing on local communities, which put a strain on local infrastructure. Local Planning Officers are frustrated that they are not able to require delivery of the minimum 10% affordable housing ratio in new developments and developers using loopholes to avoid it after getting planning permission.

Unfortunately, local authorities’ powers to build the kind of homes needed in their areas are inadequate, and allow developers to override them.  The new Sandwell Local Plan will ask for 25% of affordable housing, but greedy developers will still be able wriggle out of this.

The Liberal Democrats believe in setting binding targets for affordable and social housing set by the local authority, and ensuring that all development has appropriate infrastructure, services and amenities in place. If developers cannot deliver this they should not bid for sites, they should forfeit the planning permission for any projects where they try to wriggle out of their commitments. 

You can find the Liberal Democrat policy on this here: Tackling the Housing Crisis