EFFORTS to ensure a planned housing development in Swanage has more affordable housing have been quashed by a developer.
Harrow House International College (Swanage) Ltd submitted plans back in July of last year to create 93 homes at the site of Harrow House International School.
The plans detailed the ambition to convert a school building into 14 flats and build 41 houses and 38 apartments elsewhere on the school grounds and a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace relating to an area of land on the northern side of Prospect Way.
The applicant has now resubmitted plans following feedback by Swanage Town Council and other stakeholders, which saw the number of houses reduced from 93 to 85.
The new plans have seen the overall layout redesigned to “promote connectivity and permeability” at the site and would also see the creation of 46 apartments and 39 two, three, and four-bed houses – with just nine affordable units proposed.
The town council in particular raised concerns with the minimal affordable housing offered at the site, with councillors saying they were “disappointed” that the affordable housing element included in the plans was below what was previously discussed at the community engagement and below that set out in the Purbeck Local Plan.
Dorset Council requires at least 30% affordable housing provision for developments consisting of 10 homes or more.
This would mean the developer is required to deliver at least 26 affordable homes at the proposed site, rather than the nine (7.6%) offered.
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However, the applicant said that it is not viable for them to demonstrate this provision of affordable housing.
Chapman Lily Planning said on behalf of the applicant: “The applicant has carefully considered the ability of the proposed development to deliver affordable housing as part of the scheme and has made every effort to do so.”
Harrow House International College closed in 2020. Picture: ACG Architects/Dorset Council
They added: “This planning application demonstrates that a policy compliant level of affordable housing provision is not currently sufficiently viable.
“The applicant, therefore, proposes to secure 9 x 80% discount market sale dwellings.”
The re-submitted plans have seen other changes than what was previously submitted.
These include a community infrastructure levy agreement, a financial contribution to the Days Park Sports Facility to offset the loss of sports facilities and improvements to pedestrian crossing facilities close to the proposed development.
Chapman Lily Planning added: “The site represents an opportunity to deliver a high‐quality new development within the built area boundary of Swanage, on a brownfield site.
“The proposal provides housing including much-needed affordable homes, new public open space and landscaping, alongside ecological enhancements.
“The development will have good connectivity to the heart of Swanage and the facilities and amenities within the town.”
To view and comment on the re-submitted plans, search reference P/OUT/2024/03253 on the planning section of Dorset Council’s website.
The whole plan is crazy ,We do not have the infrastructure for this amount of houses .Drs.? More and more cars ,just crazy .Enviromental issues as well with all the wildlife that live up there .And tgen just down the road have the Forres site ,more and more houses .Why can’t we have something that would benefit the town ,not more 2nd home owners or retired people .We have OUR young people still living with family as can’t affoerd to buy .Rentals are so exspensive a joke for our young people
We need to go back to building all council houses up there so local kids can at least get a house for their own families, at the moment kids can’t move out of their parents houses as they can’t afford the rent / mortgage, stop giving in to the greedy developers, these will all end up as second homes for their own families rich.
Again the young arnt thought of just the secound home owners and retired! which we already have enough of!!! Do something for the locals for a change who are struggling because everything else is non affordable!!
What will happen to the site next door at Forres if this is considered too big?