Developer's 'de facto bribe' bid to change affordable homes promise rejected by angry councillors

The homes will be built off Beech Drive, in Thornton.

Angry councillors have said attempts by a developer to gift four one-bedroom homes to a council instead of providing 20 promised affordable homes are ‘appalling’ and an ‘absolute mockery’. Cora Homes – previously known as Barwood Homes – has said no housing provider has offered an ‘affordable’ price to buy the homes, which are planned as part of a scheme in Thornton, a village between Markfield and Desford.

The Beech Drive scheme was approved by a planning inspector in 2022 when Barwood Homes took the application for 49 homes to appeal after Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council refused it. At the time, the affordable homes were mentioned by inspector H Baugh-Jones as a ‘benefit’.

Now Cora Homes wants to scrap the agreed affordable rent and shared ownership allocation, and instead hand the four one-bedroom maisonettes to the council, which objectors called ‘a de facto bribe’. But members of the council’s plans committee branded the move as a ‘win-win’ for the developer, and a ‘lose-lose for Thornton’, before voting unanimously to refuse the proposal.

There was applause from members of the public throughout the debate last week, as councillors expressed their frustration at the developer’s request. Council leader Councillor Stuart Bray said he was angry and accused Cora Homes of ‘taking the mick’, saying the company should take the application back to the planning inspector if it couldn’t deliver what it had promised. He added: “My preference would be if they can’t make this work, give up and leave the land green.”

Ward councillor for the borough Chris Boothby carried out his own investigation by calling the organisations the developer said it had approached. He claimed one wasn’t even a registered provider, and revealed another said there had been no approach made by Cora Homes at all. ”This is an absolute mockery,” Coun Boothby said. “We are desperate for these people to stay in these villages. By offering this bribe – which it is by any other name – and expecting this council to roll over is absolutely ludicrous, because it’s a win win for them and a lose-lose for Thornton. It’s as simple as that.”

Speaking on behalf of Cora Homes at the meeting, Robbie Locke told members: “Cora has diligently sought to secure arrangements for the affordable homes in the development. Of the 14 registered providers approached, only two submitted offers, both of which represented less than 50 per cent of the open market value for the plots. This would result in these plots being built for less than the cost of construction. This is not an issue specific to Cora, but a problem many developers are currently facing. Nor is this the first time this issue has occurred in the borough. The provision of gifted units is the only other alternative for delivering affordable housing within this development. This will allow the council to be in control of affordable housing in perpetuity on this site.”

In comments submitted in writing to the committee, Ozzy O’Shea – who is also a ward councillor for the borough– said: “They’re not stupid. They will gain 16 full market price homes in an upmarket area and leave us with just four one-bedroom properties if we accept. That’s not a bad markup. They will also make a huge profit from their market-value properties in Thornton, which as I said earlier is a much sought-after area.”

Coun O’Shea also suggested the developer should take the plans back to the planning inspector, adding: “Why should residents of the borough be left with this appalling short-changed deal, which fills the developer’s coffers and leaves our affordable housing target short?”

Peter Bedford, ward councillor for Leicestershire County Council, said: “For this to come before the committee this evening is actually a disgrace,” adding, “If it’s not financially viable it should never have been applied for in the first place. “

Directly addressing Mr Locke, Councillor Richard Allen said: “You and your company undertook to provide this borough with 20 affordable houses. Do it or walk away.” Since 2014, there have been three planning applications for the land, which is near to Thornton Reservoir. When the third plans were submitted to the council, more than 280 people objected to them.