PROPOSALS for a new housing development on vacant land at Houghton Green, Warrington, have been given the green light by town planners and will include additional affordable homes.
Warrington Borough Council planners have approved an Outline Planning Application for 27 dwellings, including 15 three-storey townhouses and 12 two-storey semi-detached houses, open amenity space and associated development on vacant land at Mill Lane, Houghton Green.
The proposed scheme consists of a new build residential development comprising 27 dwellings with associated access, layout and scale.
The Planning Obligations SPD sets a target of 30% affordable housing on sites of 15 dwellings or more outside of Inner Warrington. It also identifies an affordable housing need for approximately 75% 1 and 2 bedroom homes and 25% of 3-bedroom properties. As such, eight 2-bed houses (29.6%) have been included within the development proposals and will likely be those largely identified as affordable units.
Of these 8 units, four houses will be identified for affordable rent and four houses will be identified for intermediate provision (e.g starter homes or similar). The full details of this will be agreed with Warrington Borough Council and any relevant affordable homes provider and can be appropriately conditioned or set out in any S106 agreement.
In a show of good faith, developers L2 Property intend on exceeding the WBC 30% affordable requirement by delivering another 20% of units as affordable, to be identified and delivered at their discretion and discounted to open market provision. The details and specifics of this will be refined post-planning.
Detailed discussions have taken place with a number of Housing Associations, and it is anticipated that the affordable element will be delivered in partnership with one, utilising an allocation policy that satisfies the needs of the local community and Warrington Borough Council. Any partnership agreement for the development will likely include HCA grant funding to deliver some or all of these units
