Bishop’s Stortford Town Council raps Taylor Wimpey’s attempt to cut affordable homes at Stortford Fields

Bishop’s Stortford Town Council is resisting an attempt to cut affordable housing quotas at Stortford North.

Developer Taylor Wimpey has made a ‘reserved matters’ application, seeking detailed permission for the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of 160 homes as part of Stortford Fields’ eastern neighbourhood.

Members of the town council’s planning and development committee were unimpressed that sites B and C include provision of 49 “affordable homes” rather than the 61 that members believed should be built.

Overall, Taylor Wimpey claims its development will only be viable with 34.9% affordable homes overall and 31% on the two parcels in question. East Herts Council’s target is 40%, but the developer has made a deal with the local authority.

The committee also wanted assurances about how flood mitigation measures would be monitored and called for an expert report on the flood risk at the sites close to Rye Street.

Cllr Yvonne Estop also wanted a review of some of the design, describing the layout as “dull and suburban”.