A top councillor has branded builders wanting to back-track on affordable housing as “an absolute joke.”

Barratt and David Wilson Homes wanted to reduce the number of affordable houses they are required to provide on a new housing development off Grange Road in Golcar from 16 to two.

After Kirklees officers said viability assessments revealed they could afford 11 affordable units Barratts agreed – but councillors on Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee are not content.

An angry Clr Graham Turner said: “We’ve 10,000 people on a waiting list and out of 94 homes we’re down to only 11 affordable homes.

“It’s an absolute joke now. Everyone recognises we need affordable housing – we’ve a national housing shortage yet every piece of legislation is making it easier to go against this.”

Clr Graham Turner

Clr Terry Lyons believes Kirklees officers secured the best deal they could, adding they were on “dangerous ground” in turning down the affordable housing reduction: “Are we saying we know better than the professionals?”

But Clr Turner responded: “We are the public face of Kirklees, if we can’t go against something like this then what is the point of a planning committee, we’re wasting our time.”

READ: Kirklees Council needs to stand firm on affordable housing says Andrew Jackson

Mark Johnson, for the developers, said the civil engineering costs for the site were higher than anticipated adding: “We do appreciate this is a sensitive area. The variable is the value of the land – the house builder doesn’t own the site but we are close to accepting a land value.”

Clr Donna Bellamy responded: “Why do developers buy land that’s not viable? Surely they do surveys? But they haven’t even bought the land, I can’t understand why this house builder is looking at land that’s not viable and putting in applications for it.”

The land on Grange Road, Golcar

Clr Turner moved refusal, but Simon Taylor, head of planning, and Bill Topping, planning officer, urged caution.

Mr Taylor said it would be difficult to defend while Mr Topping said they’d already agreed to 13% affordable housing for the site rather than the greenfield policy requirement of 30%, and questioned how justified it would be to reject it outright.

Committee chairman Clr Steve Hall said: “I’d like to see one-bed houses here... but if we vote for deferral officers can try to put something together. It’s a balancing game.”

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The seven-strong committee agreed to defer a decision for further talks.

Barratt and David Wilson Homes would provide seven three-bed houses and four two-bed houses at an ‘affordable’ level, split between social rented and intermediate, which is cheaper housing at first sale which can then be later re-sold at market value. It’s likely the talks will focus on that offer.