Questioning the First Minister this week on affordable housing need, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood raised concern that a planning application in Buckley has led to a site of 28 units going forward without affordable housing inclusion.

Mr Isherwood raised the matter in yesterday’s Plenary and asked what consideration the new First Minister, Mark Drakeford, will give to Buckley Town Council’s call for an investigation into the matter.

He said:

“As you know, 'Planning Policy Wales' requires local planning authorities to set capacity thresholds for residential developments, above which a proportion of affordable housing should be sought from developers. In Flintshire's case, the policy seeks to provide at least 30 per cent affordable housing on sites with a minimum of 25 dwellings.

“Well, despite evidence of local affordable housing need, the circumstances and apparent contradictory evidence applying to an application in Buckley has led to a site of 28 units going forward without affordable housing inclusion. What consideration will you therefore give to the call from Buckley Town Council for an investigation into the circumstances that allowed this to happen and the precedent this sets if not nipped in the bud?”

In his response, the First Minister said he is “not directly familiar with the call that Buckley Town Council has made” in relation to the scheme, but that the Minister with responsibility for Housing and Planning, Lesley Griffiths AM,  “is in her place and we'll make sure that we follow up the specific issue that the Member has raised this afternoon.”