Genesis Housing Group won the right to develop 1100 homes on 30 sites in a competition organised last year by the Housing Partnership, the joint venture between regeneration quango English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.
Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association also won funding for 500 homes on 26 sites.
EP provided the 56 sites and the corporation put aside £20m from its Challenge Fund.
But English Partnerships has now revealed that the total number of sites will have to be reduced to 46 after problems with planning permission and environmental issues.
Genesis has been forced to reduce its share of the project from 1100 to 750 homes but admits to losing only six sites.
Four plots in Northampton that were to yield 370 homes have been dropped because they conflict with the town's greenfield strategy. And in December Genesis was denied planning permission on two sites that were earmarked for schools (HT 5 December 2003, page 13).
Steve Coleman, development director for Genesis, said access to the land and green belt restrictions had caused the difficulties.
But he added: "In this situation, to get about 75% of what we planned is a win for everyone."
He said the problem on many of the sites was that they had been vacant so long that they had developed wildlife populations that were now protected.
It is not clear who is responsible for the other four sites as Bedfordshire Pilgrims says all its 500 homes are progressing and will be delivered by spring 2005.
The first homes in the scheme had been due to be finished by spring 2004 but Genesis has not yet begun work on any sites.
A spokeswoman for EP said it will aim to keep housing numbers up overall by increasing the densities on developments.
Source
Housing Today
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