BUILDERS of a 70-home scheme on Portland have been told they no longer need to provide any affordable homes on the development.

Under the terms of the original planning consent they were due to provide at least 17 ‘affordable’ properties.

But councillors, by the casting vote of the committee chairman, David Shortell, have now agreed that none of the affordable properties are needed at the former Broadcroft Quarry site off Bumpers Lane.

The company, Betterment Properties, had argued that unforeseen costs in removing and replacing contaminated soil and asbestos would have made the project commercial unviable – a view backed in an independent report from the district valuer, which had been commissioned by Dorset Council. A report to councillors argued that a number of the smaller units being built on the site would be affordable in any event, although many of the councillors on the planning committee who spoke in the debate disagreed with the view.

Cllr Nick Ireland said that he was fed up with the number of applications the council receives from developers asking not to meet affordable housing quotas.

Another councillor, Kelvin Clayton, described the application as putting a gun to the heads of the council which, he said, had little option other than to agree if it wished to avoid a costly appeal.

Cllr John Worth took a more practical view :”I share members frustration. In my opinion this does happen far to often but we have to look at the officer’s information and the independent assessment. It doesn’t leave us a lot of leeway.”