A developer has made its third bid to remove the need for affordable homes in its new estate in South Cumbria.
Harry Barker Properties has asked Westmorland & Furness Council to modify its legal agreement to provide four affordable homes on the development in Dalton.
It said it was no longer viable to provide the affordable homes as part of the estate on land off Greystones Lane, opposite Greenhill Ponds.
The Furness-based developer said their removal was a bid to safeguard the business.
Its previous two applications have been refused by the authority.
Dalton with Newton Town Council said it strongly urged planners to reject the application and uphold the original commitment to provide four affordable housing units.
The town council, which is a consultee, told the authority: “Affordable housing is a crucial part of sustainable community development, ensuring that local people, particularly those on lower incomes, have access to suitable housing.
“The removal of this requirement would have several negative consequences.”
The town council raised concerns that granting the application would set a dangerous precedent and that the removal of the provision of affordable homes risked exacerbating housing inequalities.
In October 2019 an outline planning application to build up to 36 homes on the site was approved by the then Barrow Borough Council.
As work began, the developer said, it became apparent that abnormal costs related to adverse ground conditions and associated increase in construction costs brought into question the viability of the project.
It said the profit margin for the development with the affordable homes was less than 5% with a typical developer profit being around 18%.
It added: “To safeguard the business, as well as achieving the wider social and environmental benefits of achieving occupation and use of the whole development, the applicant has had no option but to submit a further application to modify the existing agreement.”
A report prepared by council planning officers in September said the applicant had demonstrated it was not financially viable to build the agreed affordable housing and it had been peer reviewed and verified by a specialist consultancy on behalf of the council.
The application is under consideration by Westmorland and Furness Council.
