PLANNING permission for 27 residential apartments in Saffron Walden has been unanimously refused by the planning authority.
At a development control committee meeting last week, Uttlesford District Council questioned the developer, McCarthy and Stone, regarding the provision of affordable housing, either on or off the site of the former Bell Language college on South Road, of which there was none.
Contrary to the council’s views, a spokesman for McCarthy and Stone said: “There should not be affordable housing on this site as it would not be practical.
“As far as an off site provision for affordable housing is concerned it is just not possible.”
The developer also argued that originally it had been told that there would be no requirement for affordable housing. However, Cllr Keith Eden said: “There is nothing improper about us changing our mind on affordable housing. I don’t feel that the information provided this time is enough to overcome the problems that we initially found in the first application.”
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