STORY
Affordable housing providers have warned that changes to planning obligations could reduce the number of affordable homes built in rural areas. The concern centres on possible reforms to Section 106 agreements, which currently require affordable housing contributions from many private developments.
The National Housing Federation has said that removing on-site affordable housing requirements from smaller developments could have a particularly damaging impact in rural England. It argues that many rural affordable homes are delivered on sites that would be affected by such a change.
The Government has said it wants to simplify the planning system and increase housebuilding, but no final decision has been confirmed on the specific reform. Housing organisations say any changes need to protect rural communities where local families can already struggle to find affordable homes.