PLANS to build retirement apartments in Redditch have been rejected after developers McCarthy & Stone fell £800,000 short of the expected contribution to fund affordable housing in the borough.
It had been hoped that the development, to redevelop the Johnsons Garage site on the corner of Birmingham Road and Clive Road with 45 specialist flats, would rejuvenate the brownfield site and bring more business to the town centre.
Members of the planning committee saw merit in the scheme however, officers recommended refusal based on the level of the financial contribution offered by McCarthy & Stone towards off-site affordable housing.
Darren Humphreys, regional managing director at the company said: “We are disappointed with the committee’s decision, particularly as our plans would meet a recognised local housing need.
“Our proposal would also significantly contribute towards the delivery of the requested financial contributions for town centre enhancements, totalling £99,901 which would leave a surplus of just over £200,000 towards off-site affordable housing provision.
“We submitted a detailed Viability Report which confirmed that the contribution we were offering towards affordable housing was above and beyond what is normally paid and that the higher contribution being sought by the local authority in this regard would render our proposal unviable.”
The council stated that based on the borough’s current protocol, the developers must agree to contribute £1,004,985 towards affordable housing in Redditch but that this had not been reached.
