A correspondent writes:

Simon Clarke, the levelling up secretary, not only threatens to water down environmental protections but equally threatens to water down affordable home requirements across England.

In his plans, Clarke is pushing for developers in England to be given “greater flexibility on affordable housing requirements”.

East Devon is facing an affordable housing crisis. A report by Devon Home Choice in March 2021, says more than 2,618 households in the district were registered as in need of social housing in East Devon.

We have seen more and more house building in East Devon. The reason sold to us was that the country needed “social housing” and housing developments would provide them.

Has all this house building reduced the numbers needed?

How many of Exmouth’s needs for 607 affordable homes have been provided?

Do the developers in Exmouth need to be given “greater flexibility on affordable housing requirements”. 

3West Developments Ltd, a Woodbury-based developer of Goodmores Farm managed, with the present policies in place, to reduce the numbers. In a green wedge, extant Local Plan Policy required 49% of the proposed development to be affordable dwellings, amounting to 88 . What is being built? Just 5 % or 16 houses now agreed due to the developer pleading non-viability. This is a development of 298 houses.

“Greater flexibility” could result in numbers counted on one hand.

Who benefits from this?