Chichester District Council incorporates Starter Homes initiative into housing schemes

Chichester District Council has become one of the first local authorities to incorporate the Starter Homes initiative into housing schemes. The planning committee agreed to the request from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to change the terms of the affordable housing provision in the Lower Graylingwell development so that half of the units on a 160-home scheme in West Sussex will be provided as discounted Starter Homes for first-time buyers.

The Outline plans for the 'Lower Graylingwell' site were approved at Planning Committee on 14th October 2015, subject to the progression of legal agreements. The new proposal is to replace the local plan policy compliant scheme of 48 (30 per cent) affordable houses with 80 (50 per cent) Starter Homes. In order for Starter Homes to be delivered instead of the affordable homes, the affordable housing clauses in a draft section 106 agreement will be replaced by clauses relating to the provision of Starter Homes.

The Committee report said that the revised affordable housing agreement "represents a significant uplift in the number of homes to be made available to local people at an affordable level, an additional 32 homes for first-time buyers in the district". A link to the Committee Report can be found here.