Page 290 - All files for Planning Inspectorate

Statement of Case
EDF Energy, Wealden House, Lewes Road, Ashurst Wood

First Issue – Affordable Housing

6.9 Policy DP31 of the Mid Sussex District Plan requires 30% affordable to be provided
on site on all residential development schemes providing 11 dwellings or more. The

policy also states that proposals that do not meet these requirements will be refused

unless significant clear evidence demonstrates to the Council’s satisfaction that the
site cannot support the required affordable housing from a viability and deliverability

prospective. Viability should be set out in an independent viability assessment on
terms agreed by the relevant parties, including the Council and funded by the

developer. This will involve an open book approach.

6.10 The application was accompanied by a Viability Assessment prepared independently

by Melanie Dwyer MRICS of Affordable Housing Consultancy Ltd. The report
concluded the development of the site with 54 apartments would result in a negative

land value based upon the existing site value with a policy compliant level of
contributions. The development would also have negative value based upon nil

contributions.

6.11 The results demonstrated that the scheme was not viable with any affordable housing

but also indicated that, despite the marginal viability, the applicant would still be
prepared to make the necessary S106 infrastructure contributions.

6.12 The Viability Appraisal was assessed on behalf of Mid Sussex District Council by
Dixon Searle. Despite there being a broad measure of agreement in relation to values,

costs and revenue, Dixon Searle disputed the 20% profit margin in the appellant’s
appraisal as well as certain other factors which led them to conclude that up to 9

affordable housing units could viably be provided on the site.

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10 December, 2019 Page 20

Bates No 000289