Affordable Housing Policy shift in Elmbridge

Viable Placemaking has successfully demonstrated that Elmbridge Borough Council’s affordable housing policy was unsound when imposed on small sites and in direct conflict with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Through a detailed Affordable Housing Policy Analysis Statement, Viable Placemaking set out the case that national policy – particularly paragraph 65 of the NPPF – clearly exempts small-scale developments from affordable housing contributions.

Viable Placemaking have provided high-level Affordable Housing Policy Analysis Statements to several developers which have comprehensively evaluated:

• The soundness of the local planning policies

• Planning Inspectorate development plan examinations

• Consistency with the NPPF

• Implications on housing land supply

• Relevant appeal decisions

Applying unjustified requirements to these sites not only created viability issues but also risked undermining the delivery of much-needed housing in an area which does not have a five year supply of housing land.

Following Viable Placemaking's submission, Elmbridge Borough Council accepted this position, meaning the policy will no longer be applied to minor developments.

This is an important outcome for developers, architects, and planning consultants working on smaller schemes within the borough, removing unnecessary cost burdens and helping to ensure deliverability.

For those navigating similar challenges in other local authority areas, this highlights the importance of robust policy analysis and early engagement to secure sound, NPPF-compliant or otherwise justified outcomes.

For more information on this project or how to assess the viability or validity of planning policies, please don't hesitate to get in touch.