Developers renege on affordable housing commitments
Tide Construction has agreed to pay £15 million to Ealing Council to exit its affordable housing plans in West Ealing and Southall
Ealing Council has agreed to accept £15 million from the developer Tide Construction to allow it to escape affordable housing commitments which were made during the planning application for two student residences. The money will be used to fund affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.
A meeting of the council’s planning committee on Wednesday evening heard that Tide had applied to change the planning consent it had been given to provide on-site affordable student housing at the former Majestic Wine store at 42 Hastings Road and 50-54 Drayton Green Road, West Ealing and 13-19 The Green, Southall. In exchange, the developer will make an “offsite payment in lieu” of £8 million and £7 million respectively.
Tide was granted permission to build 424 student “bedspaces” including 148 affordable student rooms (35 percent of the total) in Southall in March. It was granted permission to build 412 student “bedspaces” including 144 affordable student rooms in November 2024.
Read more: Developers renege on affordable housing commitments
In a report to the planning committee, planning officers said the council had greater need for general affordable housing than affordable student rooms, so £15 million represented a good deal for it.
In the report’s own words: “Overall, whilst it is recognised that there is demand for purposed built student accommodation in the borough, the present pipeline of such schemes and the quantum of affordable provision it brings balanced against the current context of a slow delivery of conventional housing and affordable housing provides justification in this context to rebalance the delivery of affordable housing by securing a payment in lieu towards affordable housing in the borough, which would help to provide additionally of affordable homes for already consented schemes, for which there is the greatest need at local and strategic level. This is considered to carry significant material weight which on balance is considered to be acceptable.”
Both amendments to the planning consent were passed unanimously. Councillor Dee Martin said that she was not sure how the initial plan to offer two grades of student accommodation would have worked but welcomed the deal.
Earlier this month, Ealing Council agreed to buy 180 homes in Southall’s Green Quarter for £52 million. Ealing has around 7,500 families on its housing waiting lists, with the waiting time for larger properties up to 13 years.
Read more: Ealing to buy £52 million of affordable homes to cut housing waiting lists