A SENIOR councillor has called on planning bosses to get tough on developers who claim they can’t afford to build affordable homes.

Last year just 60 affordable homes were built in Colchester – the lowest since 2004 – despite being one of the country’s fastest growing towns and 933 homes having been built in the last year.

Now Tim Young, leader of the Colchester Labour group, has said the council must start to stand up to developers trying to get away with not providing affordable homes.

Mr Young’s comments come after the latest in a string of planning applications was submitted to Colchester Council in which the developer stated it could not afford to provide affordable units.

Modena Homes wants to build 19 apartments in Clarendon Way, off North Station Road, in Colchester.

Government guidance states any development of more than ten units should have 20 per cent designated as affordable.

But a report which will go before councillors on Thursday states: “The applicants have provided a financial appraisal stating the scheme is barely viable and the affordable homes element means it would not be built.”

That application comes after Bloor Homes told planners in October the price of developing Rowhedge Wharf into 170 homes would need “extraordinarily high upfront costs” and it could not shoulder the drop in profit if the development was to include affordable homes.

That application was approved.

In November, separate plans to build 138 homes in Flagstaff Road, on the former Garrison site, were also approved even though no affordable homes were included.

Mr Young said: “During the recession the developers held all the cards.

“Now, we have the trump cards and I think we need to stand up to them.

“The ideal thing is to get affordable housing in all developments.

We know developers want to build here because people want to live here.

“Are developers going to not build because we insist on affordable homes being part of the deal? I don’t think so.

“We should be saying ‘if you want to develop in Colchester, these are the conditions.”

A Colchester Council spokesman: “The provision of affordable homes in Colchester is a council priority and we have a strong commitment to delivering this priority through the planning process via developer contributions.

“National planning policy however makes it clear councils should not seek to make developers provide excessive contributions that would render any scheme unviable and unlikely to be progressed.

“The growth in overall housing supply which comes as a result of new developments contributes positively by increasing housing availability locally.”

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “It is for local authorities to agree an appropriate level of contribution to affordable housing with developers.

“Our guidance is clear that changes in costs and property value should be considered in longer term developments, and councils should use appropriate methods and expertise, whether in-house or external, to determine these.”

The Gazette contacted Modena Homes and its planning agent, but no one responded.