A DEVELOPER has claimed its proposed 284-home development would not be viable if it had to provide affordable homes on site AND pay £2.4 million towards local amenities.
The already controversial scheme by Harron Homes on farmland in Cleckheaton is set to be discussed by councillors at a planning committee next week, following revisions to its earlier 267-home bid for the site.
After being knocked back by the committee in April, it has reapplied with a revised scheme for the five fields at Merchant Fields Farm in Hunsworth, including changes designed to overcome concerns around there being too many large family homes and safely moving hedgerows.
And while the latest report from Kirklees Council planners details the measures that have been taken in the altered plans, Harron Homes has now submitted a financial viability appraisal indicating the "proposed scheme is unable to viably deliver any level of onsite affordable housing in addition to the required Section 106 off-site payments".
The Council, however, does not agree with this assessment, instead considering that the scheme can comply with its planning obligations policy while "delivering an acceptable developer profit".
The planning obligations sought include 57 homes to be affordable housing; £1,146,481 towards education requirements arising from the development; £733,884 towards off-site public open space provisions; around £162,000 towards air quality mitigation; a £145,266 contribution towards sustainable travel measures; about £120,000 towards off-site biodiversity; and £65,000 towards off-site highway works.
The position statement, which will go before the Council's strategic planning committee next week, adds: "The applicant has not formally responded to the independent assessment of the financial viability appraisal, however, should the applicant continue to pursue matters of viability, officers’ position would be to recommend refusal of the application on the basis that the development would fail to deliver appropriate planning contributions."
The changes to the scheme itself are described as an increase in 17 homes with more smaller sized properties and a slight reduction in the number of four bed detached properties.
"The number of four bed units has been reduced by four, the number of two bed units has been increased by ten and the number of three bed units has been increased by eleven.
"The increase in the quantum of development has been achieved by modifying elements of the previous layout and extending the built development closer to the south-eastern site boundaries.
"The hedgerow that is classed as important under the Hedgerow Regulations is proposed to be translocated to the same part of the site as the previous application.
"The applicant has provided additional supporting information in relation to the methodology for the translocation, which has been provided by a company who has previously carried out similar work."
So far there have been 98 objections to the latest scheme.
Councillors are being asked to have their say on the planners' position statement at a meeting which takes place on October 21.
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