Developers in Teignbridge have been told that unless they want to toe the council line and make at least 50 per cent of new homes affordable they can look elsewhere for their profits. That was the clear message delivered this week after councillors at Teignbridge Council Development Control Committee refused to allow the construction of 25 homes in Chudleigh because the developer was not prepared to meet the target. Cavanna Homes had originally agreed to make five of the properties at Town Mill affordable, and last Friday, faced with a recommendation that the application be refused, made a last-minute offer to increase that to 10. Ian Pugsley, of Cavanna, also offered to hand over open land for community use and said the benefits of the scheme were 'surely in the best interest of the local community and Teignbridge as a whole'. But councillors meeting at Forde House, Newton Abbot, on Monday, were not impressed and drove home the 50 per cent message by refusing permission by 17 votes to five. Cllr Brian Berman, the architect of the district's housing policy, said that with first-time buyers needing an income of more than £50,000 to be able to secure their first home it was time developers helped out. 'Only in the most exceptional circumstance would I accept less than 50 per cent,' he told fellow members of the development control committee. 'I'm fed up with applicants coming with proposals for less.' Cllr Keith Smith said the district faced 'a serious if not crisis situation' with 2,500 people on the housing waiting list and that with a 'cheap' site such as the one in Chudleigh, which did not involve the same costs as a brownfield development, there was 'no reason whatsoever' for the developer not to agree to the council's terms. 'If we accept this we're letting the homeless people of Teignbridge down,' he said. Similar sentiments were expressed by other councillors including Cllr Vic Elliott who said there were plenty of youngsters who wanted to stay in their communities but could not afford to.' 'Now is a good example to let the rest of the developers know it's 50 per cent we want,' he said.
