HomeblogIs infill the answer?


Is infill the answer? — 2 Comments

  1. A few quick off-the-cuff thoughts:

    It being the case that developments of 5 or under houses do not have to include affordable housing, then the answer could be to indicate that such planning applications will not be looked upon favourably in the NDP, and indeed to adopt a policy that discourages such developments.

    Surely it is not necessarily the case that the only way we can develop more affordable houses is through major developments? As I recall, earlier this year there was a very interesting and encouraging presentation by Cornwall Community Land Trust, when it was explained that under their auspices quite small-scale developments (from memory ?7 to 12 units?) can be provided.

    Surely the only way we might ‘need more’ infill is if such infill were genuinely affordable housing? Otherwise, it’s the same old speculative development.

    Are there any instances of affordable housing being provided on two or more sites simultaneously and under the same umbrella, ie one scheme divided between sites? (I guess that it might require separate planning applications but it would be clear that they were part of the same scheme.) Just a thought.

  2. Thanks for these thoughts, Celia.

    Forgive some of the contractions in my article, designed to keep it brief. I was trying to set out the basic rules of the game. Creativity is the way we then play our cards.

    You are right that a Community Land Trust can do things others cannot because they are, in every sense, a charitable developer: in it to maximise benefit, not profit. We are very keen on developing a Mylor CLT but it will still need to secure land at a sensible price.

    It would be great if we could use infill to provide AH but where are the sites? Rosemary Gardens was a pull-down-and-replace. There is a similar proposal for a house called Highlands, across Passage Hill, being discussed at present. The resulting houses may not be large but the prices are definitely open market ones.

    There are higher costs in developing ones and twos than an estate and higher input costs are the last thing AH needs. But that is no bar to trying and that is something a CLT is good at.

    I hope we will see at one of the consultation sessions this/next week.