Affordable housing row stalls plans for new homes in Blackpool

Objections had also been lodged about how construction traffic would access the site on Moss House Road in Marton.

But the developer Rowland Homes warned the site was ‘risky’ to develop and so would become unviable if the council made too many demands.

Blackpool Council’s planning committee agreed to defer a decision in order to seek more information.

Rowland Homes wants to develop the land with the construction of 27 detached homes, 18 semi-detached and seven terraced properties, with between two and four bedrooms.

Council policies, agreed since the full application was submitted in January 2022, require 30 per cent of homes on larger development sites to be affordable, preferably through social rent.

But Rowland Homes wants to build eight affordable homes, offered through shared ownership.

The scheme also fails to meet council policies including on the amount of trees provided, parking and open space, while a reduced sum of £113,000 has been offered towards meeting additional health provision, open space provision and highways costs.

Councillors said they felt the application failed to meet too many of the council’s own policies and planning obligations for them to approve it.

Coun Jo Farrell said: “I understand the cost of materials etc has gone up, but we have to think of our residents and the communities they live in.”

Coun Pam Brookes added: “I think we have to be careful we are not held to ransom having to agree to something that is almost right.”

Jonathan Pickthall, representing Rowland Homes, said the site was challenging to develop due to the quality of the land and the small size of the site.

It was previously part of the Redwood Point housing estate for 422 homes on sites surrounding Moss House Road, but this phase had stalled.

Mr Pickthall warned the developer would not come back with another scheme, and added: “We want to meet the policies but it is simply not viable.”

It was agreed to defer the application to seek more information regarding affordable housing, and to explore the possibility of using Florence Street for construction traffic instead of Moss House Road.