The Queensbury and Affordable Housing

I have been told that Planning officers at Brent have agreed a deal with Fairview Homes on affordable housing in The Queensbury application that was refused earlier in the year.  This would have the effect of removing affordable housing as a reason for refusal in the forthcoming appeal by Fairview.  I can understand why this may sound like a bad idea to people, but I suspect it actually makes the Council's case stronger.

The Council was advised by Fairview, its own officers and an independent consultant that the amount of affordable housing in the original application was a reasonably commercially viable amount.  This analysis was not challenged by any evidence in the meeting.  Retaining it as a reason for refusal, acually weakens the Council's case rather than strengthens it.

The objection to the sheer size of the proposal in the Mapesbury Conservation Area still seems to me a very strong grounds for refusal, and more likely to succeed with the Planning Inspector if it is on its own.