A challenging housing market has forced a bid to change a 320-home development in a south Suffolk village, a developer has said.
On Wednesday, members of Babergh District Council’s planning committee will be discussing Taylor Wimpey’s bid to reduce the number of houses promised for a portion of land south of Brooklands Road, in Brantham, from 288 to 281.
The developer, which has planning permission to build approximately 320 homes on the site, is also looking to change the proposed housing mix by reducing the number of two and three-bedroom homes and increasing the number of those with four and five bedrooms.
In a planning statement, Taylor Wimpey said it is struggling to sell one and two-bedroom homes despite a scheme to try and increase buyers.
The statement said: “Even with this scheme in place, we are still finding the demand for larger four and five-bed homes is more resilient to the difficult current market.
“Therefore, we wish to react to the current market and ensure that we are delivering houses for which there is a demand.”
The development was initially granted outline permission in 2016 before receiving final approval in 2019.
Councillor Alastair McCraw, representing Brantham, said the district had a greater need for smaller homes and called for the decision to be taken by committee members.
He said: “This is a large, intensely planned area in a strategic site, identified as such within our policies.
“As such, close public examination is called for in a matter of large local interest in the community of Brantham.”
Brantham Parish Council also emphasised the need for smaller homes to ensure young families are encouraged to move into the village and said it was "imperative" the district council reviewed its own policies.
If approved, the development would see the smaller homes reduce by 15 while the bigger ones would increase by eight.
The officer’s report being presented to planning councillors next week stated it could be argued the changes would ensure the homes were built as the developer would have certainty about them being sold.
Taylor Wimpey’s statement added the application was a "proactive response to the housing market and the evolving needs of our clientele".
Officers concluded the proposals would "not fundamentally change the scheme to be delivered" and recommended the application for approval.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here