Horsham District was one of the study areas for national research by CPRE and Shelter. The research shows that after developers have gained planning permission for a site, they can use a ‘viability assessment’ to argue that building affordable homes could reduce their profits below competitive levels, which they define as around 20%. This gives them a legal right to cut their affordable housing quota on the site. The assessments are not currently made public, so it is hard for local people to scrutinise planning authorities’ responses to the assessments.

You can find out about affordable homes lost in Sussex, by downloading the PDF below including case studies in Sussex districts. 

CPRE is pressing the government to use the revision of the National Planning Policy Framework as the opportunity to close the loophole and create a system of viability assessments that is fair, limited and transparent.

You can watch the CPRE Sussex website and follow us on social media on Facebook and Twitter for advice on how you can respond to the consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework and help to secure more affordable homes for people in Sussex.

Photo © Iain Tait