24 July 2025
Affordable housing at Highsted Park
— policy compliant or falling short?
On the final viability day of the Highsted Park Inquiry on Thursday 24 July, the spotlight was on affordable housing — how much will be delivered, who it’s for, and whether the figures add up.
Giving evidence for the Applicant, Claire Dickenson of planning consultancy Quod confirmed that the developer expects to provide 27.7% affordable housing across the North and South sites combined — subject to overall viability. But crucially, this is not a firm commitment.
For the Northern site alone (land West of Teynham) the Applicant argued that just 10% affordable housing would be policy compliant, as the land lies within the Sittingbourne urban area — where Swale’s Local Plan sets a lower threshold. But that position was challenged.
Kent County Council raised concerns about how the Applicant had defined the local housing market area — suggesting they’d used a broad and favourable definition of “Sittingbourne” that could understate real need. Swale Borough Council pressed on whether the mix of housing types would meet local demand, particularly around affordable rent, social housing, and specialist homes.
The impact of compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) was also scrutinised. If parts of the relief roads need to be acquired by CPO, it could delay housing delivery — and potentially erode viability, reducing the affordable housing offer even further.
The Inspector questioned the reliability of the figures, asking what would happen if costs rose or land deals fell through. With no secured land for key infrastructure and no promotion agreements disclosed, confidence in the Applicant’s assumptions appeared to waver.
In short, the Applicant says the scheme could provide up to 27.7% affordable housing — but offers no guarantees. With viability under pressure, and the prospect of rising costs and land delays, residents may be left asking: how much affordable housing will Highsted Park really deliver — if any?
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