Unusual conditions in place as council approve housing plan

Normally, those building homes are asked to give up a quarter of the site for ‘affordable homes’ along with cash to support things like public transport and the impact on local services.

Plans to demolish two derelict housing blocks in Little London, Maltby, replacing them with 15 new homes would have meant four houses being given over - under normal circumstances.

But the developer challenged that as unaffordable, and an independent assessor agreed - but came up with a calculation the project would generate enough profit to put £76,000 into affordable housing off-site, along with £56,000 to support education and £7,500 towards public transport.

The developer contested that figure and an alternative arrangement means the costs of demolition work and erecting new homes, set against the value of those properties, will be assessed.

If there is no, or reduced, profit, the sums the developer will be expected to pay may go down - but if the profit margin is deemed to be higher than assumed, their charges will increase.

The development would take up an area made up of four small parcels of land around Churchill Avenue and Greenland Avenue.

A further unusual condition attached to the planning application, which was approved by members of Rotherham Council’s planning board, is to give a shorter time-frame for development than the normal five-year window, before permission expires.

That has been done in a bid to encourage the early redevelopment of the site, which is seen as a blight on the area.

However, planning officials explained to councillors, and members of the public who spoke about the issues they face in living alongside derelict homes - described as looking like a “war zone” during the meeting - that they could not force developers to move forwards with projects once permission was granted.

Permission granted was ‘outline’, meaning details still needed to be clarified before work can start.

Members of the Big Power for Little London community group were among the speakers.

David Whitehead told the meeting: “There is a lot of public anger these (derelict houses) have been allowed to stand for so long.”