PLANS to build 46 town centre flats above JD Sports and Poundland have been labelled a “slap in the face” by Slough councillors.

Members sitting on Tuesday’s planning committee vented their frustration that no affordable homes were proposed in developer Slough Property 2 Ltd.’s latest scheme.

the developer wants to construct a three-storey extension and convert the top floors at the five-storey building at 190-192 High Street, holding six studios, 22 one-beds, and 14 two-bedroom apartments with five car parking spaces, two ground-floor retail units, 50 cycle bays, a communal rooftop garden, and private balconies.

This is an alternative scheme to the previously approved 63 flats scheme. The developer explained they cannot deliver those plans due to the limited space to place cranes for the demolition and construction of the apartments.

However, they maintained this new scheme will help rejuvenate the High Street and provide thousands of pounds in council tax.

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Just like the previous scheme, no affordable homes were proposed due to it being ‘unviable’ to the developer. They did offer a £25,000 financial contribution for off-site affordable homes and will review the development to see if it can provide affordable housing at a later stage.

For a development this size, it would have to propose at least 12 affordable units. Planning officers said the developer’s consultant confirmed there would be a £15m deficit if it proposed affordable homes – but the council’s own consultant said there would be a £4.5m deficit.

This angered councillors that the developer did not offer a single affordable home. They also called the £25,000 offer “pitiful” and a “slap in the face”.

Speaking at the meeting on October 25, Cllr Pavitar Kaur Mann (Lab: Britwell & Northborough), lead member for planning, said: “That wouldn’t house a single family in temporary accommodation for a year and nor does it change our priority for affordable housing.”

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Planning officers explained national policy sets out that a developer should make a certain percentage of profit and, if not met, the developer is allowed to reduce its contribution, such as affordable housing offer.

Because it is policy-compliant, councillors were unable to refuse the scheme based on that reason as it would open themselves to a potentially successful legal challenge.

Councillors agreed to delegate the application for the head of planning to approve the scheme subject to the developer securing financial contributions.

Cllr Haqeeq Dar (Lab: Wexham Lea) was the only member to abstain as he didn’t read the viability report due to “family issues”.