Micro-flat developer Pocket Living has seen plans pushed back for projects in both Greenwich and Haringey by local Labour politicians.
Councillors in Greenwich claim the borough should be looking to undertake more of its own housebuilding through its development vehicle, whilst in Haringey Momentum councillors want more family-sized affordable housing.
Pocket’s plight is the latest sign of heightened tension between developers and London politicians following a broad move to the left following May’s local elections.
In Greenwich, councillors have called in a decision by its cabinet to sell three council-owned sites to Pocket. The three sites are located on housing estates and are currently used as car parking and garages. In total around 150 homes, all for intermediate affordable have been plann
ed by Pocket.
The proposal went before Greenwich’s cabinet meeting last month, where members agreed to the plan. The next stage was to consult tenants and leaseholders potentially affected by the proposal.
However, councillors stepped in, arguing against the sale to Pocket, and the previous cabinet decision was taken without considering whether its own development vehicle Meridian Home Start should develop the schemes itself. The sale to Pocket subsequently went before a scrutiny call-in sub-committee last week, where councillors ordered the plan back before cabinet for reconsideration, where it may still go ahead.
Local authorities are increasingly building homes themselves. A total of 18 local authorities now have their own wholly-owned development vehicles, with others also building through direct delivery.
Research by think-tank Centre for London said the 22 councils currently building aim to deliver 23,600 new homes over the next five years.
The decision comes after more than 1,000 homes across two schemes were turned down by Greenwich, after the make-up of the planning committee members changed dramatically after May’s local elections.
In Tottenham Hale in Haringey, Pocket has also suffered a blow where it was due to build part of the affordable element within Argent Related’s plan for more than 1,000 homes, across five sites in and around the bus station.
It is understood, councillors in the Momentum-backed authority wished for more family sized affordable housing, as opposed to the smaller Pocket homes, which have now been removed from the plans
Planning officers also raised concerns of affordability, if Pocket units formed part of the affordable housing proposals. Previous consultation material indicated around 100 homes were earmarked for the Pocket product. Related owns 50% of Pocket Living.
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