Developer insists it supports affordable housing

A developer has defended plans to drop five affordable homes from a new estate, insisting it is not being “deceitful or greedy”.

Imperial Homes wants to replace the properties at its 14-home Church Road scheme in Warsash with a £452,285 payment towards affordable housing elsewhere in the Fareham borough.

The developer had been due to provide five affordable homes as part of the site between 75 and 77 Church Road, including affordable-rent, shared-ownership and wheelchair-accessible social-rent properties.

But director Ben Olds said the company has been unable to find a registered housing provider willing to buy and manage the homes, despite approaching operators in the area. He added that the firm was facing a problem increasingly affecting smaller developments.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ben said: “We are not trying to be deceitful or greedy developers, as people insinuate.

“We are just trying to deliver homes, but we can’t do this until there are changes and incentives for social housing providers.

“We had five social housing units, and such houses are the biggest challenge in the industry at the moment.

“A lot of social housing providers can’t get the Government funding, and they have no interest in buying anything that is less than 30 affordable housing units.”

Imperial Homes bought the site from another developer last year and has already reduced the sizes of the planned homes to make them more affordable to buyers.

Ben said the company had contacted affordable-housing operators but had either received no response or been told they were not interested in taking on the small number of homes.

He made clear that Imperial Homes, based in Curdridge, is not opposed to delivering affordable housing, claiming that between 100 and 150 of the homes it builds each year are social housing.

He added: “We either provide social housing, or there is an offset payment that we must pay.

“The issue with this application was pre-forecast, as we are having to deal with this a lot.

“It is inevitable that we will not be able to find a regulated provider for five, six or seven social houses.

“We are having to go back to the drawing board after that happens.”

Under the revised proposal, the £452,285 contribution would be paid in three stages before the first, seventh and 13th homes are occupied. The final property could not be occupied until the full amount had been received.

Fareham Borough Council officers have recommended the proposal for approval, with the money intended to support affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.

A decision will be made by councillors on September 9.