Angmering affordable homes put on hold due to 'spiralling costs'

Angmering Community Land Trust has ‘mothballed’ a project to build 12 new affordable homes at its Mayflower Way development.

In a letter sent to shareholders last month, ACLT chairman Tony Cross explained this was because of ‘spiralling building costs’.

“Unfortunately, the impact upon the building trade initially brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently by the war in Ukraine has now been compounded by the cost-of-living crisis and a rise in interest rates,” he wrote.

“This has caused building costs to spiral out of control making it quite impossible to build the affordable homes we planned for and need so desperately.

“The board of ACLT has exhausted all possibilities in trying to find a way forward to continue the development but has concluded that at the present time, there is no way forward.

“Accordingly, we have taken the decision to ‘mothball’ the site until conditions are more suited to continue the development.

“I know this is a big disappointment but the board must take decisions which are sound, viable and in the best interests of ACLT.”

Pictures on the ACLT website show the site being secured whilst building is paused.

Mayflower Way received planning permission from Arun District Council in October 2018 after ACLT bought the land for £1 from Angmering Parish Council.

The district council previously agreed to contribute more than £580,000 of developer funding (known as section 106 contributions) towards the project which came from the nearby Crayfern development.

ACLT was set up in 2015 with parishioners taking on the role of developers in a bid to ease the shortage of affordable housing in the village.

The trust says that property prices in Angmering are ‘beyond the means of most local people’.

It has already provided housing to several locals who either work in or near Angmering; have lived there for some time; or have local connections.

Once building recommences, Mayflower Way is set to include eight affordable rental properties and four shared ownership leasehold properties.