HBA’s response to affordable housing High Court’s ruling
The High Court quashed the governments planning guidance that exempted small development sites from the obligation to provide affordable housing units.
Mr Justice Holgate ruled that the guidance was “incompatible” with the statutory planning framework.
The HBA has always regarded the small sites exemption policy as crucial to ensuring that SME developers compete on a level playing field with larger companies.
Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor at the HBA, commented: “Although appreciating the High Court’s effort in providing an objective judgement, this ruling does not appear to consider many practical challenges which SME house builders face on a daily basis. SME developers stimulate their local economies by training and employing local skilled labourers, and benefit local communities. Local authorities should seek to work alongside small and medium-sized developers, rather than discouraging them from contributing to the very targets that the local authorities want to achieve.”
