SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council’s Chief Executive has admitted that his council needs to be more assertive in making sure that developers meet their obligations to provide the appropriate number of affordable homes as part of any new developments.
Talking to Thame Town Councillors last Tuesday, David Buckle said:”Affordable housing, which doesn’t necessarily mean social rented homes, does tend to get squeezed by developers because of the pressure for spending on roads, libraries, etc.
“We are now learning to become more sophisticated when negotiating with developers and say ‘no’ – we want more affordable houses. But as a consequence, some spending on roads and schools etc may have to go by the board.”
Current policy is for 40% of new housing to be ‘affordable’, which is, according to David Buckle, is more likely to be ‘shared equity’ housing, but Thame town councillors, including Cllr David Dodds, have been critical of the new fact that the new, prestigious housing development on the site of the old Rycotewood college site, has very little ‘affordable’ housing despite it being promised.
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