Border Telegraph | News | House boss demolishes affordable bid

Wednesday, 7th January, 2009

Published: Wednesday, 13th December, 2006 13:32

House boss demolishes affordable bid

By Border Telegraph Newsroom

A MOVE to create more affordable housing in the Borders has been slammed by a local developer.

Michael Crawford, of the J. S. Crawford Building Partnership, said a 30 per cent figure for new developments proposed by Scottish Borders Council was “unrealistic and disputable.”

SBC is poised to increase the affordable housing figures for new developments after an independent 10-month study highlighted shortages in some parts of the region.

Under the existing policy, developers must ensure that 10 or 15 per cent of their housing units are affordable.

Although the demand for affordable housing varies, the Borders is facing a shortfall of 301 houses each year.

In a bid to address this, SBC’s Executive is recommending that figures should rise by up to 30 per cent in some housing market areas.

A housing needs study shows that 9.9 per cent of respondents believe their homes are not suitable for their needs, 13.1 per cent need adaptations to houses, 16.4 per cent report overcrowding and 18.6 per cent indicate under-occupation.

It also shows that house prices in the Borders have risen by 38.4 per cent between 2003 and 2006, taking the average house price to £139,813.

Councillors were told last week that the study figures provided robust information on affordable housing, helping SBC meet the needs of all Borders residents.

Mr Crawford, who is also vice-chairman of Homes for Scotland, said: “The Council’s requirements for 30 per cent affordable housing will decrease the opportunity for young Borderers to buy a family-sized house.

“Instead a two-tier market will occur: large detached family homes and small rented or shared ownership houses sold to those on housing association waiting lists.”

Mr Crawford feels that the current shortage of small and medium-sized family homes in the Central Borders is due to the Council’s failure to allocate sufficient development sites.

He said: “The creation by the council of this artificial shortage has naturally pushed up prices in the most sought-after properties, the small and medium-sized detached and semi-detached houses.

“We used to build 30 to 40 units of this size every year in Melrose, Gala and Selkirk.

“For the last three years we have not built any, due, simply, to a lack of suitable development land.”

SBC’s Executive has agreed to begin a 12-week consultation with the housebuilding industry and other stakeholders on the proposed percentage changes.

The policy will be decided on March 29 by the full Council, convening for its final meeting before the local elections

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