Commission on Thames Gateway housing recommends 75% reduction to 'waivers' for planning gain financed schemes

The Housing Corporation should no longer exclude schemes partly funded via section 106 contributions from its quality standards, according to a new report published yesterday.

Tim Williams

The Williams commission on affordable housing design in the Thames Gateway recommends an end to the existing ‘waivers’ under which planning gain financed schemes do not have to meet the same quality standards as fully grant funded developments

The commission, which was chaired by former government regeneration advisor Dr Tim Williams, says that by April 2008, the number of such waivers should be reduced by 75%. The corporation estimates that around 5% of the schemes that it funds benefit from this exemption.

The commission also recommends

  • establishing a list of developers eligible for two to five years funding to be drawn up by a panel of experts
  • inviting developers to work up funding submissions together with land owners in a bid to improve the quality of design
  • government should publish detailed criteria by which planning authorities can judge design quality
  • the Planning Inspectorate should publish an annual report on the design and quality of schemes which have been the subject of planning appeals
  • the public sector should provide land at a discount to good quality developers
  • a review should be conducted of the quality of affordable housing provided under section 106 agreements
  • local authorities should monitor schemes after planning approval has been granted to prevent designs being ‘dumbed down’
  • developers that build three schemes which do not meet the corporation’s standards should be struck off its panel of preferred partners
  • private developers should look at longer term management models for development
Deputy corporation chief executive Steve Douglas said that the report showed that the quango was determined to maintain its commitment to good design despite the imminent departure of his boss Jon Rouse to join Croydon council.“What we want is good quality design, not just the affordable housing, but all the partners involved in the development chain.”