Commission on Thames Gateway housing recommends 75% reduction to 'waivers' for planning gain financed schemes
The Housing Corporation should no longer exclude schemes partly funded via section 106 contributions from its quality standards, according to a new report published yesterday.
The Williams commission on affordable housing design in the Thames Gateway recommends an end to the existing 鈥榳aivers鈥� under which planning gain financed schemes do not have to meet the same quality standards as fully grant funded developments
The commission, which was chaired by former government regeneration advisor Dr Tim Williams, says that by April 2008, the number of such waivers should be reduced by 75%. The corporation estimates that around 5% of the schemes that it funds benefit from this exemption.
The commission also recommends
- establishing a list of developers eligible for two to five years funding to be drawn up by a panel of experts
- inviting developers to work up funding submissions together with land owners in a bid to improve the quality of design
- government should publish detailed criteria by which planning authorities can judge design quality
- the Planning Inspectorate should publish an annual report on the design and quality of schemes which have been the subject of planning appeals
- the public sector should provide land at a discount to good quality developers
- a review should be conducted of the quality of affordable housing provided under section 106 agreements
- local authorities should monitor schemes after planning approval has been granted to prevent designs being 鈥榙umbed down鈥�
- developers that build three schemes which do not meet the corporation鈥檚 standards should be struck off its panel of preferred partners
- private developers should look at longer term management models for development
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