This week, we reveal how a student halls got planning permission with just 11 per cent affordable housing. It shows just how important it is that Southwark Council sticks to its policy of 35 per cent affordable housing on all new developments.
In this instance, King’s College London (KCL) was able to convince councillors that the need for new student housing was great enough to supersede the need for affordable housing. But with over 17,000 people on the housing waiting list, there is no room for exceptions. We need affordable housing, and fast.
Southwark says its planning policies have “moved on” and that it would insist on 35 per cent affordable housing nowadays. This is reassuring, and affordable housing policies are indeed stronger.
But the fact is that there was also a policy on 35 per cent affordable housing back in 2013. KCL got around that criterion so it’s not inconceivable that that could happen again.
35 per cent affordable housing is not particularly ambitious. Sadiq Khan has previously stated his preference of 50 per cent. Neighbouring Lewisham has a strategic target of 50 per cent. So if Southwark is going to set the bar so low, it should commit to achieving it.
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