Orbit Homes is a dedicated provider of affordable homes. We are promoting land at Little Shepham, Polegate for 108 homes. The development will be 100% affordable housing, with homes for social rent and shared ownership homes available. 

With Wealden’s housing waiting list continuing to grow and the cost of buying a home, particularly for first time buyers, becoming increasingly unaffordable, this type of housing in Polegate and across East Sussex.

The proposals include:

• 108 affordable homes, including 65 shared ownership homes, with    preference being given to those that can demonstrate a local connection. Buyers will have the ability to increase owned shares in their homes as their financial situation allows but, unlike many private sector schemes, there is no obligation to do so and no timescale for such, giving security to occupiers.
• 43 social rented homes, with all nominating rights going to Wealden  District Council;
• Open green space, including open play space and trim trail equipment, tree planting and wildlife habitats, such as bat and bird boxes and reptile receptor area

Orbit Homes purchased the site with an outline consent for 108 homes which requires not less than 35% of the housing to be affordable. Orbit set about preparing a reserved matters application which would provide 100% affordable housing, being a mix of shared ownership and rent.

This reserved matters application was supported by Polegate Town Council, which stated “The town council was impressed with the way the development had considered the community both the existing one and the new one to be created”.

It was also supported by Wealden District Council’s own Housing Service team, which supported the provision of 108 affordable homes split between social rent and shared ownership, stating that “a mix of rented and shared ownership properties will also help to ensure that the site is home to a sustainable mixed and balanced community”.

Despite the application providing 100% affordable housing as opposed to only 35% and support from key stakeholders, the application was refused by Wealden District Council. One of the main reasons for
this is that it the application provided more than the 35% affordable housing that the existing permission for the site would include. On top of this, the Council also cited that Orbit Home’s application did not offer a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payment which would be eligible if the 65% market housing was to be delivered. Given that Orbit was proposing 100% affordable homes for the site, as opposed to 35% affordable and 65% ‘market rate’ homes, the new proposals would not have had to make a Community Infrastructure Levy payment given the benefits of a great deal more affordable housing for the site.

Orbit Homes feels that the benefits of a 108 affordable homes on the Little Shepham site is too big an opportunity for Wealden to pass up and that a flexible approach from the Council’s planners should be employed.