SIXTY flats will be built in Wokingham town centre after councillors approved plans last week.
It will affect DIY store Robert Dyas and Lloyd’s Bank, but the shops will be replaced with smaller units.
Property company Devonshire Metro is behind the scheme to demolish 19-21 Market Place and build 60 flats, three new shopping units and a public square.
Architect firm Architecture Initiative says the development would ‘revive’ an ‘under-used’ patch of Wokingham town centre.
But a viability assessment submitted by developers said they couldn’t profit from the project if any of the flats were reserved for ‘affordable housing.’
Council planning rules say developments of at least more than 15 homes in a ‘major development location’ such as Wokingham town should include at least 30% affordable housing.
This could mean those homes would be rented as social housing, rented or sold at 80 per cent of market rates, or sold through schemes such as ‘shared ownership.’
But laws say developers don’t have to do this if they can provide a ‘viability assessment’ showing construction costs mean they wouldn’t make a profit without charging full market rates. This then has to be approved by an independent financial consultant.
This was criticised by Cllr Rachelle Shepherd-DuBey, who said: “As someone who grew up in affordable housing, I really think it’s a horrible idea that we don’t have any affordable housing in this development.”
She said such developments could help make Wokingham ‘a town for only the rich, not for the average earners or the poor’.
Speaking at the February meeting councillor and committee member Wayne Smith said he agreed with Cllr Shepherd-DuBey, but that the council is bound by law.
He said: “I’ve banged on at this committee about affordable housing and got nowhere. I agree with you 100%, but the process is the process and unless it’s changed in law, we can’t do anything about it.”
Council planning officers recommended that the development be approved, arguing that the ‘benefits’ of the new development ‘outweigh the inability to deliver affordable housing.’
A legal agreement says there should also be a ‘viability review’ when the project is completed ‘to confirm the situation has not changed.’
Councillors on the committee voted to approve the application with six in favour and three against.
The approval of the Market Place development comes after another block of flats – on Latimer Road near the train station – were approved in January.
