London councillors reject Berkeley Homes plan after affordable housing offer falls from 40% to 12%

Members of Southwark Council's planning committee have unanimously rejected revised plans from housebuilder Berkeley Homes for the Bermondsey Place development on the Old Kent Road. The decision came after the company reduced its affordable housing offer from 40 per cent to just 12 per cent. Local councillors voted against the plans despite their own planning officers recommending approval. Their decision showed strong opposition to the sharp cut in affordable homes in a major regeneration area in south London. According to reports published by Southwark News, The Architects' Journal, and MyLondon, the revised plans covered 1,060 homes across the second and third phases of the wider development. Under the new proposal, just 81 of these 1,060 homes would have been affordable, a major drop from the original promise made for the site.Viability challenges behind the reductionThe original combined planning permission for Bermondsey Place was approved in 2020. It allowed around 1,300 homes to be built across three phases, with a firm commitment that 40 per cent of the entire development, measured by the number of rooms suitable for living, would be affordable housing. Phase 1 includes 28...