Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead Affordable Housing Policy

The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead adopted their latest Local Plan in February 2022. It states that it “promotes a sustainable pattern of development for the Borough”.

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Policy HO3 of the Local Plan sets out the expectations regarding affordable housing in the Borough, this can be seen below:

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Policy HO 3 Affordable Housing 1. The Council will require all developments for 10 dwellings gross, or more than 1,000 sq. m of residential floorspace, to provide on-site affordable housing in accordance with the following: 2. a. On greenfield sites providing up to 500 dwellings gross - 40% of the total number of units proposed on the site; b. On all other sites, (including those over 500 dwellings) -30% of the total number of units. Within designated rural areas (14), the Council will require 40% affordable housing from all developments of between 5 and 9 dwellings. 3. Where a development falls below the size thresholds in 1 or 2 but is demonstrably part of a potentially larger developable area above those thresholds, the Council will require affordable housing on a pro rata basis. 5. 6. The required affordable housing size and tenure mix shall be provided in accordance with the Berkshire Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2016, or subsequent affordable housing needs evidence. This currently suggests a split of 45% social rent, 35% affordable rent and 20% intermediate tenure overall. The delivery of affordable housing will be provided in accordance with the following order of priority: a. On-site as part of the development and distributed across the development to create a sustainable, balanced community b. On an alternative site, only if provision would result in a more effective use of available resources or would meet an identified housing need, such as providing a better social mix and wider housing choice If the Council consents to the affordable housing not being provided on-site under clause 5(b) a financial contribution equivalent to the cost of providing the same quantum of affordable housing which would otherwise be sought on site will be required in order to provide affordable housing on an alternative site. Financial contributions will also be required in respect of any fraction of an affordable unit that would be required to meet clauses 1 and 2 of the policy. 7. Planning obligations will be used to ensure delivery of affordable housing on an alternative site and to ensure that the affordable housing will remain at an affordable price for future eligible households, or for the subsidy to be recycled to alternative affordable housing provision. Rural Exception Sites 8. Development proposals for limited affordable housing within the Green Belt, to meet local needs only, will be permitted as an exception where all of the following criteria are met: a. a demonstrable local community need for affordable housing has been established; b. C. d. e. the number, size and tenure of the dwellings are suitable to meet the identified need; the site and the development proposal are well related to an existing settlement and not located in the open countryside; the proposal is designed to respect the characteristics of the local area including the countryside setting, and schools with capacity, health, shops and other community facilities are within reasonable travelling distance.

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As seen above, there are different requirements based on the type of site and the number of dwellings proposed. This policy will apply to all sites where a residential scheme is proposed.

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For developments of between 10-500 dwellings or over 1,000m2 of residential floorspace and on a greenfield site, 40% affordable housing will be sought.

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By comparison on developments of 10+ dwellings and on any other site, or over 500 dwellings, 30% affordable housing will be sought.

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In designated rural areas, all developments of 5-9 dwellings will also be required to provide 40% affordable housing.

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Affordable housing provisions can be made on-site or on a different site if there is an identified housing need elsewhere. A financial contribution equivalent to the relevant affordable housing percentage can also be provided as an alternative, if on-site provisions are not appropriate.

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Given current high build costs and stalling sales values, we advise that a site-specific viability assessment is completed on all residential developments of more than 1,000m2 or 5 dwellings in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.

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