The delivery of much needed affordable housing in St Andrews is being hindered by a loophole which is making a “mockery” of Fife Council’s affordable housing policy, it has emerged.
The issue has been highlighted by St Andrews Labour councillor Brian Thomson after councillors last week granted approval for a development of retirement flats, which has seen no cap on the selling prices set.
The affordable housing policy contained in the St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan requires 30% of all units on sites of 20 units or more to be affordable, or an off-site/financial contribution to be made for sites of 2-19 units.
If, however, a developer proposes to develop all of the units as “special needs housing”, the requirement to provide affordable units is removed.
At last week’s Fife Council north-east planning committee, a planning application by Knightsbridge Homes for 78 “unsubsidised special needs dwellings” at Old St Leonards Fields in St Andrews, which was recommended for approval by officers was approved.
The flats are to be developed by Bield Housing and Care, who will sell 75% of the market value of each unit and retain at least initially 25%.
Owners will be entitled to purchase the remaining 25% at a later date. Anyone over 60 years of age will be able to purchase a flat and no cap on the selling prices has been set.
Another planning application, by McCarthy & Stone, for 18 private retirement flats on another part of the St Leonards site, was refused by the north-east area committee in February on grounds of impact on the conservation area and the setting of adjacent listed buildings but again had been recommended for approval by officers, with no requirement for a contribution towards affordable housing.
Councillor Thomson said yesterday: “This loophole is making a mockery of the Local Plan’s affordable housing policy. I understand that the last affordable housing unit to be completed in St Andrews was in March 2007 more than six years ago.
“There is a huge need for affordable housing in St Andrews, particularly for young single people and families, however, in seeking to develop expensive private retirement flats, developers are clearly exploiting this loophole.
“There is a need for special needs housing but the two recent applications have been for retirement flats and anyone who has sufficient funds and is over 60 would be able to purchase such flats there is no requirement for persons over 60 to demonstrate that they have a ‘special need’. I don’t believe that this was the intention of the policy, however, it is resulting in serious implications for the delivery of affordable housing in St Andrews.
“As things stand, all a developer has to do is badge a development as retirement flats, and any obligation to contribute towards affordable housing is avoided.
“The clear advice from officers, in relation to the respective applications, was that the proposed retirement flats fell within the definition of special needs housing, and that there were no grounds for refusing the respective applications for failing to propose a contribution towards affordable housing. That being the case, either the definition of special needs housing requires to be amended, or the affordable housing policy redrafted.
“Whether or not that can be done in advance of the new Fife Local Development Plan for example, via supplementary planning guidance is unclear but I will be raising the matter further with senior council officers.”
Fife Council planner Dave Wardrope said : “We are aware of this issue and will be reviewing the existing supplementary guidance on affordable housing in advance of adopting the new Local Development Plan for Fife.”