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London borough makes viability assessments public
A south London borough has become the latest council to publish developers’ viability assessments.
Labour-led Croydon Council brought the new policy into effect yesterday.
It follows similar moves by several other councils, including Greenwich, Southwark, Bristol and Brighton & Hove.
Viability assessments allow developers to limit their contributions to infrastructure and affordable housing by demonstrating that doing so would not guarantee “competitive returns” from schemes.
They are not usually made public, leading the practice to be criticised for lacking transparency.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the assessments to be made public in his Affordable Housing and Viability Supplementary Planning Guidance.
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Alison Butler, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing at Croydon Council, said: “The publishing of these appraisals will make the council’s work with developers much more transparent and enables the public to hold both parties to account.
“Most importantly it will also help ensure affordable housing, which is much needed in Croydon, is built.”
Developers of schemes in Croydon will now have any viability assessments submitted published on the council’s website alongside other planning documents.
They will still be able to keep assessments confidential if able to prove that disclosure would be commercially sensitive.
