Goldthorpe housing plan to go ahead without affordable homes after review

The development, proposed by Redmile Homes, was originally recommended for approval in July 2023. The original plan included 11 affordable homes, with six to be built on-site and five replaced by a commuted financial sum, with the developer paying the council a sum of money to provide affordable housing elsewhere.

However, after detailed viability assessments by the developer and an independent assessor, it was concluded that including affordable housing would make the project financially unviable. As a result, the affordable housing has been removed from the plans.

Despite this, the scheme will still provide important community contributions worth more than £780,000 through a revised Section 106 agreement.

This includes £79,500 towards sustainable travel initiatives, £608,000 to support local education due to increased demand for school places, £101,399 for improvements to public open spaces, and funding for off-site ecological mitigation works.

The 3.39-hectare site, previously home to the Dearneside Comprehensive School, will feature a mix of 36 two-bedroom, 55 three-bedroom - including six bungalows – and 15 four-bedroom homes. The layout has been amended from the original 109 dwellings to 106, with design improvements to enhance landscaping, parking, and road access.

Community concerns about traffic and construction impacts have been addressed with adjustments to road layouts and parking provisions. Statutory consultees such as the Coal Authority, Education Services, and Ecology Officers have raised no objections, provided conditions around site safety, infrastructure, and environmental protection are met.

A report by Barnsley Council officers confirms the scheme complies with local and national planning policies despite the removal of affordable housing and recommends approval subject to the signing of the new Section 106 agreement and standard planning conditions.

The revised scheme will be decided at the council’s next Planning Board meeting on June 10.