MP secures Gove’s commitment to look at scandal of developers ducking out of affordable housing commitments

In Parliament yesterday, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron asked the Housing Secretary Michael Gove to give Westmorland and Furness Council the power to reject planning developments that fail to provide enough affordable homes.

It comes after a recent housing development in Milnthorpe was given the green light despite just 15% of the 125 proposed homes being affordable.

Meanwhile a proposed development in Appleby would see up to 117 homes built with not a single one set to be affordable.

Speaking during Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Questions in the House of Commons, Tim said: “In communities such as Kendal, Appleby, Allithwaite and Milnthorpe, developers have used viability assessments to renege on building desperately needed and genuinely affordable homes.

“So will the Government give planning authorities the power to declare null and void any planning permission where the developer cannot or will not deliver the affordable homes that they had promised?”

Responding, Michael Gove said: “I know how important it is to deliver affordable homes in the Lake District, in the honourable gentleman’s constituency.

“We will take a close look at the examples he cites, in order to make sure that we are not killing the geese that lay the golden eggs.”