Countryside Properties is set to avoid a further £1million in planning fees and affordable housing when planning councillors meet next week to discuss the company's proposals for 74 apartments and 68 houses on the Green Lane site in Eccles that borders the Bridgewater Canal.
The huge housing scheme will be considered on the same day that Salford City Council's new Planning Obligations SPD will come into force (see previous Salford Star article click here). The Council's planning officers themselves state on Countryside's application report that "In accordance with these policy documents a financial contribution in excess of 1million pounds would be sought..."
The `in excess of £1million' payments would be for `open space and recreation facilities, public realm, infrastructure and heritage' but also for, in the Council's words "funding works associated with addressing the increased need for primary school places that a development will generate..."
However the report then goes on to add that the Council won't be enforcing any of these payments, as they "would render the scheme unviable". Countryside should also be providing 28 affordable properties on the site but this condition has also been waived as it "would render the scheme unviable".
Instead, Countryside will pay just £32,000 "towards public realm works between Worsley Road and Patricroft Railway Bridge in line with the Bridgewater Master Plan". The Council has also inserted its usual `clawback' agreement whereby, if the huge housing project proves `viable' it will get some money back to provide affordable housing away from the site.
This is the fourth application in less than a year that Countryside Properties has made to Salford Council's planning panel, pleading that its schemes would be `unviable' if it had to pay fees. On the four Countryside developments alone, the city has now lost £2.8million in fees and 94 affordable properties.
Altogether, over the last twelve months the city has lost over £20million in planning fees and over 850 affordable properties...
For the full background see the latest Salford Star print issue: Salford's £19million Planning Scandal page 27 click here
* See also previous Salford Star article: Pressure Grows On Salford Council To Make Planning Process More Transparent - click here
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