Bellway Homes seeks to reduce affordable housing from 21 to 7 due to market challenges, disappointing local officials and residents alike
Billericay: So, Bellway Homes had this plan to build 47 homes at Maitland Lodge, right? They got the green light last November, promising 21 of those would be affordable. But now, they want to cut that down to just seven. They’re saying the housing market isn’t doing so hot anymore.
Apparently, their costs have shot up, and they’ve run into some unexpected issues on site, which is making everything more expensive. It’s a bit of a mess, honestly.
This change is the last hurdle before they can finally start building. The whole thing went to appeal back in June 2022 because the council couldn’t make a decision in time.
Phil Turner, a local Tory councillor, isn’t too happy about this news. He said it’s disappointing but not really surprising. He feels like they’re under pressure with all these developments popping up.
He mentioned that the government’s policies are pushing developers to rethink their plans, and it’s tough for them to meet the affordable housing guidelines, especially with rising labor and material costs.
Turner hopes that whatever design they come up with next will be better than what they had before. He’s all about protecting Billericay’s green spaces and wants to make sure residents’ voices are heard in this process.
He added that while it’s unlikely they can stop the development, they can at least work with the developers to get a better deal on things like density and infrastructure.
Bellway hasn’t commented on this situation yet, but it’s definitely a topic that’s got people talking.
