No affordable homes in major waterside development

A "flagship" plan to redevelop a major industrial waterside site into 1,300 homes has been criticised for not including any affordable housing.

Developers want to build 980 homes and 320 student accommodation units in buildings up to eight storeys high in the Water Lane development in Exeter.

One councillor is "dismayed" at the absence of affordable housing and the project also faces objections from Historic England, Devon County Council and Exeter's Harbour Master.

The developer says it will contribute up to £10m to support services in health, education and transport and is in discussions with other organisations about what affordable housing might be provided on the site in the future.

The report says the proposals are for "up to 980 dwellings" and "up to 320 bedspaces in Purpose Built Student Accommodation", along with leisure and retail facilities.

Diana Moore, Green Party leader on Exeter City Council and the ward member for the Water Lane area, said: "I'm dismayed the report says there shouldn't be any affordable housing - we need truly affordable homes and social housing.

"This is meant to be a flagship development for Exeter and we really need to insure they are homes for people in Exeter to live in - to buy and to rent - otherwise we've been sold down the river."

Historic England has concerns regarding "the potentially imposing building heights of the development".

The report says Devon County Council's planning department is "concerned that appropriate affordable housing is made available for essential local workers" and the council's waste department has raised concerns about noise levels from the nearby recycling centre.

Exeter's harbour master is concerned there could be "a detrimental effect on the efficiency and capability" of the port authority and "the launching and recovery of large craft".

The development would be one part of a wider regeneration of the whole area around Water Lane.

The developer, Water Lane Development Management Company (WLDMC), said this outline application would "pave the way for the delivery of hundreds of new homes, not just on the current site but in the wider area through the infrastructure that we will be providing".

In a statement the developer said: "It is a highly sustainable, brownfield, city centre location which will be revitalised as part of a new mixed-use community."

Regarding affordable housing WLDMC said there were "immense costs involved in decontaminating and preparing this complicated site ready for regeneration".

It said the application would see "up to £10m of planning gain for local authorities to support education, health, transport, sport and other infrastructure" and around £1.7m paid to Exeter City Council as a community infrastructure levy to be spent however the council saw fit.

It said it was "actively in discussions with other organisations to provide affordable housing" but needed outline planning permission before it could make progress with those negotiations.

The council's report says the new homes have "the potential to facilitate high standards of contemporary and sustainable design".

It says the site is "in a very sustainable location" and "has the potential to make effective use of land".

Exeter City Council will meet later on Monday to decide on the plans which have been recommended for approval.

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