WAVERLEY has welcomed a landmark ruling that should make it possible to build much-needed affordable housing on smaller rural sites.

Two local authorities have successfully challenged a Government decision to exempt developers from providing affordable housing on developments with fewer than 10 homes.

Justice David Holgate quashed a number of measures following the High Court challenge by West Berkshire Council and Reading Borough Council.

Waverley Borough Council supported the action by the two councils and Waverley leader Robert Knowles met with Housing Minister Brandon Lewis to raise the issue before the case.

“The landmark ruling gives Waverley the confidence to return to its policy of seeking to secure affordable housing on smaller sites,” Mr Knowles said. “These developments, though smaller in scale, can make a very useful contribution to meeting the affordable housing need.

“Waverley, like all other borough councils, needs all the support it can get to help residents to secure homes.

“The judge was right to strike down the policy changes which had not been consulted on and for which there was no evidence they were impacting on viability of residential schemes.

“I hope the Government has learned the lesson that councils are better placed to develop policy based on local assessments rather than a top down, one size fits all approach.”

The Rural Services Network (RSN) gave a witness statement on behalf of its members objecting the Government’s exemption policy could “decimate the provision of rural affordable housing because most sites in villages are small”., commended Justice Holgate’s ruling.

Commending Justice Holgate’s decision, RSN chief executive Graham Biggs MBE said: “This is a landmark judgment which favours small rural housing developments, and thereby rural communities, the length and breadth of England.

“These planning requirements are the mechanism which delivers most of the new affordable homes in our villages. Without them, families will be priced out of the countryside.

“There is scant evidence that such planning agreements undermine development site viability and, where local authorities conclude it would, they can already reduce the burden. This judgment endorses our concerns.

“We hope that the Government will reflect on these issues and not appeal the judgment.”