A NEW gym and flats will be brought to Penarth – despite concerns about how much the developer is contributing to affordable housing in the area.

Plans for the new gym and 12 apartments on the site of the former Robert Smith Garage in Windsor Road were approved by Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Planning Committee.

But that was after a debate by councillors about the proposed contribution of £24,264 to off-site affordable housing put forward by developer Pure Commercial Finance.

Councillor Peter King said council projections show 264 new affordable homes are needed in the areas surrounding the site.

He said: “When you reach the conclusion that an off-site contribution of £24,000 would possibly pay for the footings on a front door, it isn’t even a dent.”

Councillor King said by his calculations, the development could have generated up to £750,000 from section 106 contributions.

He also said there is “no chance of any contribution towards anything else” from the multi-million pound Northcliffe development – where 30 new flats are planned at Penarth’s headland- due to issues around commercial viability. 

He said: “It’s exceedingly hard as somebody who has a small understanding to accept. The public and residents of Penarth are bewildered.”

Councillor Christine Cave also expressed her disappointment at the contribution.

She said: “I’m really appalled at the sustainable housing contribution we’re having here. This isn’t in isolation – this occurs quite regularly.”

Councillor Neil Thomas said he welcomed development at the site, but told the meeting the St Augustine’s ward has the lowest proportion of social housing in Penarth.

“Unfortunately not only does this development do nothing to improve that awful position, it in fact makes it worse,” he said. 

Councillor Thomas said under normal conditions up to five units in the development would have been affordable, and the developer would have been expected to make contributions of more than £500,000 towards affordable housing, transport, education, public open space and public art.

Describing the proposed contribution as “risible,” councillor Thomas said people in St Augustine’s “have already taken north of a £1 million hit on Northcliffe Lodge,” where they are “subsidising the development” in terms of education, highways and sustainable transport and affordable housing.

“This is another way of adding half a million to the debt the people of this ward are having to pay off. I find that unacceptable.

“The message to developers, if we allow this, will be build in Penarth, and the Vale council will get the taxpayers to subsidise your profits.”

But councillor Jonathan Bird said he was staggered by councillor Thomas’ comments.

He said: “It’s not going to be developed if you insist on having money and the developer is making no profit at all. In fact, they will be making a loss.”

Councillor Nic Hodges added: “Twenty odd thousand for a prime site in the centre of a thriving town is derisory.”

Victoria Robinson, Vale of Glamorgan Council’s operational manager for developments, told the meeting developments on brownfield sites are less likely to earn bigger contributions from developers.

She said: “It is going to cost the developer a lot of money to convert this existing building.

“In addition we have to take into account what the existing building is worth.

“Officers absolutely fight tooth and nail with developers to get the maximum we can get from them for section 106. We don’t lightly put forward a recommendation to committee where the level of contributions is as low as it is for this.

“But we can’t refuse a development that is otherwise bringing a lot of benefits. It’s delivering 12 new units of housing which is – whether it is affordable or market – is much needed in Penarth.”