Homes deal 'falls short of targets'

A senior Teignbridge Council housing strategist has criticised a 'compromised' deal with a developer hoping to build 200 homes in East Ogwell. Cllr Brian Berman, executive member for planning and housing strategy, said the agreement had failed to provide sufficient affordable properties. He said the council had too little time in which to thrash out a better deal and there was a fear that developer Redrow would provide no affordable housing at all if an agreement had not been reached. Plans for the homes in fields off Reynell Road were rejected by Teignbridge Council and again by a planning inspector when Redrow Homes appealed. But last month, the secretary of state, Ruth Kelly, approved the scheme so long as she was satisfied with the number and quality of affordable homes it contained. Now Teignbridge has signed a Section 106 Agreement with Redrow which means that approximately 53 of the dwellings will be rented through a housing association and 27 will be available for shared ownership. A further 40 properties will be sold at 87.5 per cent of the full market price and the remaining 80 sold at full value. But Cllr Berman has written to the government and said that to meet local targets at least 80 homes should be for rent and 40 for shared ownership. He also believes a greater proportion of the properties should be family homes, not one-bedroom flats. 'There was a great deal of pressure to put a deal on the table,' he said. 'We only had two or three days.' Cllr Berman said he had 'acquiesced' to the signing of the document as he was fearful that no affordable homes would be forthcoming if a deal couldn't be reached. 'I didn't tell our solicitor, Simon Barnes, not to sign it,' he said. Leader of the council, Cllr Alan Connett, defended the agreement and said it was the best that could have been achieved. 'It is an agreed compromise we have arrived at and it does make up 60 per cent although not how we envisaged it,' he said. 'We would have preferred to see a greater mix for rent and shared ownership but this is an exceptional development as the secretary of state intervened. 'Cllr Berman has, in his letter, taken the opportunity to re-state the ideal.' Miss Kelly is expected to announce her decision before September 11 after interested parties have commented. Closing date for further comments is August 29.