On 12 January Mark Roberts, Loxton Developments, posted a message on Tysoe Village Noticeboard Facebook page (12) Tysoe Village Noticeboard | Facebook  Tysoe Parish Council have agreed the following response.

The permission granted for the development on the Meadow Lane site originally included 3 affordable homes as was required under the District Council’s Core Strategy policies. Mr Roberts purchased the site with this permission and re-applied for permission to take out the affordable homes, against the wishes of the PC, and agreed to pay SDC a sum of money under a S.106 agreement, this he has now done. The PC and the then District Council Ward Member for Tysoe negotiated with SDC to have this sum ear-marked for use in Tysoe within three years of it being paid. The money must be used to fund an affordable housing scheme in the village. If it is not used within three years, it will go into SDC’s central pot of S.106 money to be used elsewhere in the District. So, instead of getting the affordable housing that the PC and village wanted we have a sum of money available to part fund a scheme if we can find one that fits the bill. The PC have been in discussion with SDC for about two years now and SDC will not allow the money to be used on a scheme that is put forward as a mixed market/affordable development unless there is significant “additionality” – i.e., the affordable homes are of very high specification or represent significantly more than the minimum required under SDC’s policy. However, SDC would consider the use of the funds in the case of a “community lead” scheme whereby the homes were predominantly affordable rather than market homes.

Mr Roberts refers to an area to the rear of the Meadow Lane site as a possible development site. No offer has ever been made by Mr Roberts to the Parish Council regarding this land. Residents have consistently objected to any development on this site during numerous and lengthy consultations on the Neighbourhood Plan. That site is now part of the Strategic Gap proposed in our Plan and is outside the proposed Built-up Area Boundary and as such is protected from development.

The other monies that Mr Roberts referred to, which he was obliged to pay as part of his development permission, will be utilised by the PC to improve various facilities in the village in due course. It is certainly not unusual for such funds to accompany a development of this sort.

We would rather have had the three affordable homes that were originally granted permission for on the site, but we are where we are and will do all we can to utilise the £500,000 that was paid to SDC in lieu of building the affordable homes. Residents should be aware that the PC has formed a new Affordable Homes sub-committee to pursue all opportunities to introduce much needed affordable homes into the village and we have been working with Cameron Homes on their proposed development scheme off Sandpits Road to ensure that it includes adequate affordable houses for residents or those with a close association with the village.

8^th February 2021