A developer planning a 28-flat new build in Surbiton has offered just one of the homes as an affordable unit.

Surrey Comet:

The former petrol station in Brighton Road. Pic: Jon Sharman

Indigo Scott and Kingston Council have been back and forth six times over revised plans for the former petrol station site in Brighton Road, which would also include two retail spaces.

The scheme will come before councillors at next week's development control meeting - and planning chiefs have warned the application should be refused if still-ongoing affordable housing negotiations fail.

A report to councillors said: "The applicant has offered the council one on-site two-bed shared ownership unit, affordable to a family on an income of £30,000, which represents 3.6 percent of the total.

"The council, with advice from an independent viability assessor and the council's housing team, will assess whether this represents the maximum amount of affordable housing that the development can support and whether this would be an appropriate type of provision.

"Further negotiations are taking place with a view to resolving this issue.

“If no acceptable position is agreed the application would be recommended for refusal on grounds of the failure to provide affordable housing."

Kingston Council policy states that half of homes in large developments should be designated affordable.

The 28-home plan is one of two submitted for the site.

The second, with 32 homes and no retail units, is recommended for refusal.

Indigo Scott's agent Rapley's concluded: "The results of the viability assessment lead to the conclusion that on-site affordable housing is not viable where other section 106 costs and community infrastructure levy (CIL) are accounted for.

"Further, any additional payments towards affordable housing over and above the existing section 106 and CIL costs could not be sustained by either scheme on the basis of the developable area of the site.

"However, Indigo Scott recognise the importance of affordable housing within the Kingston area and therefore seek to discuss with the council potential options for making a financial payment feasible, as appropriate."

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