Deal to build 120 affordable homes in Fitzwilliam could be ‘first of many’ across Wakefield district

Ninety of the properties would be social housing under the proposals for an eight-acre site at Farm Lane, Fitzwilliam.

Senior councillors agreed to the disposal of the local authority-owned land to allow developer Karbon Homes to carry out the project.

Michael Graham, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic growth, said similar deals with the private sector are likely to follow to provide more “decent and quality homes” for residents.

The developer hopes to build a mix of one-bed to four-bed houses and bungalows at the site, subject to planning permission.

In November 2020, cabinet members agreed to allow the site to be used for affordable housing through a procurement process.

Coun Graham told a cabinet meeting: “As a council we want to deliver more and more afforadable housing.

“This is all about delivering that.

“This will be 100 per cent afforadable housing and 75 per cent social housing.

“It is good news for the council and it is good news for people who need decent quality homes as well.

“This will be the first of many that I’m hoping we will bring forward in the near future.”

Around 20,000 people in the Wakefield district are on the waiting list for social accommodation, a figure that has remained largely unchanged over recent years.

A housing officer last year admitted that the authority is consistently failing to keep up with a government target to build 646 affordable properties each year.

Housing growth manager David Fowles said there was “no silver bullet” to tackling the national problem.

He said: “We exceed our housing targets of 1,600 per year.

“The council does have land. We can contribute.

“We are never going to meet that gap because it is going to be bigger nextyear and bigger the year after.

“We can’t escape that. The country doesn’t have enough affordable housing.”

In 2005, the council disposed of its housing stock through a large-scale voluntary transfer to Wakefield and District Housing (WDH).

The transfer means the council no longer has a direct role in the delivery of affordable homes across the district.

It does have an indirect role by delivering planning policy to ensure affordable housing on new development sites.

Council leader Denise Jeffery told the meeting: “We really wanted to build our own housing but that has not been possible.

“But we did acquire this site.

“We want people to know that this is what we are achieving.

“We can’t do it ourselves but, working with partners, we can deliver affordable housing for people who are in desperate need.”