Anger as Queens Hotel owners set to drop cheaper housing in developments

PEOPLE have spoken out after a developer is set to pay about Â£300,000 to the city council so it does not have to build affordable homes.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Jan 2018, 15:33 BST

Updated 4th Jan 2018, 15:37 BST

Owners of the Queens Hotel, in Southsea, are refurbishing the hotel and building two new blocks to make 98 homes.

But they say it would not be viable to provide 30 affordable homes.

Reacting on The News’ Facebook page, Kimberley Barratt said: ‘The fact is that we are in desperate need of this type of housing in this city and across the country yet when we find a development that requires 30 percent of the dwellings to be affordable, the developer is quick to say it is not viable.

‘So wrong. We have lost out on at least 138 homes in the last few years and ended up with only six of them.’

Charlene Maines said: ‘The council should not accept payment More social housing is needed.’

But Jennie Pope said: ‘Too much social housing has to be added to luxury developments.’