Home   News   Article

Subscribe Now

Affordable units at Parkway still not available months after completion





And it could be another two months before a housing operator is appointed to manage the units, it was revealed this week.
The delay comes despite West Berkshire Council handing over £900,000 from council coffers in 2008 to guarantee affordable housing at the site, after developer Standard Life Investments said it could not afford to build any.
SLI told the Newbury Weekly News last May that all the affordable units had been completed but a spokeswoman who asked not to be named, said this week: “We are currently in advanced discussions with our preferred affordable housing provider.
“We hope to be in a position to announce our preferred operator in the next few months.”
An agreement made with West Berkshire Council, who ‘sold’ the majority of the land for the development to SLI for a £1, meant that the developer could wait until 74 private units had been sold before 19 of the affordable units were released, and at least 120 private units were occupied before the remaining 18 affordable units were made available.
However, it was revealed this week that despite 82 per cent of private dwellings now been sold, which equates to 121 properties, the affordable housing was yet to be made available.
In accordance with council policy, which saw council tax payment exemptions for empty properties scrapped, SLI have had to pay £70,000 in council tax fees since the properties were completed.
The Liberal Democrat housing spokesman Tony Vickers (Northcroft), who was on the planning committee which approved the Parkway development, said this week: “It’s very disappointing.
“The people that need these homes are in serious financial problems brought on by welfare reforms and there’s very little they can do about it.
“To know that there are empty homes built for them with council money I think makes them very angry.”
The leader of the council, Gordon Lundie (Con, Lambourn) said that while he was not involved with the decision in 2008, he understood the council’s reasons behind it.
“We had to renegotiate the affordable housing a couple of times as the market crashed,” he said. “I’m glad that Parkway went ahead. There was a real risk that it wouldn’t because the numbers didn’t make sense for Standard Life.
“It’s disappointing that they haven’t moved with greater speed but it’s complex because they have got to appoint a registered social housing operator, it’s more than just releasing units for occupation.
“We have had high level discussions with Standard Life [about] what needs to happen and I’m confident that will happen in the next two months.”
He added that he couldn’t rule against a similar deal being struck with developers in the future.
“It’s fantastically complicated and I wouldn’t want to say that in the London Road Industrial Estate and the Market Street and The Wharf developments that we wouldn’t be sensitive to how complex some of these developments are,” he said.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More