Despite submitting amended plans for a new housing estate on the former Harrow House school site in Swanage, Dorset, the property developer has chosen not to increase the provision of affordable housing and may actually reduce the number.

Harrow House, reached via Walrond Road, is a prominent landmark, positioned on top of a hill, enjoying far reaching countryside and sea views across Swanage. The five acre site was an international language school until it closed during the Covid pandemic in 2020.

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Harrow House (centre) is a large prominent building in Swanage with far reaching views

Barrage of objections

There was a barrage of objections to the original outline planning permission submitted to Dorset Council in June 2024, including from TV presenter Jonathan Ross who lives nearby, which listed a number of concerns including the density of the buildings, traffic, and the lack of affordable housing provision.

In response, the Wareham-based planning consultants Chapman Lily Planning acting on behalf of the developer, has changed some of the proposals and reduced the number of homes from 93 to 85. The amended documents were uploaded to the Dorset Council planning portal on Tuesday 27th May 2025.

However the developer continues to argue that it’s financially unviable to provide 30 percent as affordable housing, as stipulated by the Purbeck Plan and demanded by the submissions from Swanage Town Council and the Dorset Council housing team.

It says it can only offer 10 percent of homes as affordable, otherwise it won’t make enough profit because of the extra costs of developing this brownfield site.

Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt

The number of homes proposed has been reduced from 93 to 85 in the plan submitted in May 2025

“Not currently sufficiently viable”

In a document by Chapman Lily Planning it says:

“The applicant has carefully considered the ability of the proposed development to deliver affordable housing as part of the scheme and has made every effort to do so.

“Both national and local policy, in addition to related guidance, allows for a reduction in the provision of affordable housing where a development would otherwise be rendered unviable.

“The submitted Financial Viability Assessment, prepared by Strut and Company Limited, accompanying this planning application demonstrates that a policy compliant level of affordable housing provision is not currently sufficiently viable.

“The applicant, therefore, proposes to secure 9 x 80 percent discount market sale dwellings.”

Initially the provision was nine homes but now the number of units has been reduced to 85, the planning consultants go on to say that this is going to be reassessed – the implication being that it will reduce to eight homes or less.

The developer, in this instance, classes ‘affordable’ as homes sold at 80 percent of the market rate.

Planning policy under successive governments advises that a realistic profit margin for property developers should be between 15 and 20 percent and if the independent district valuer (based in Exeter for the South West region) assesses that a development will make less, then it is allowed to reduce or scrap any affordable element to the scheme.

Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt

The proposal includes converting the Arts and Crafts main school building into flats

Affordable homes scrapped at St Mary’s school site

This policy is aimed at providing an incentive to encourage developers to build homes rather than leave sites undeveloped but can lead to a lack of affordable home provision.

This is what happened with the development at the old St Mary’s school site next door to the Purbeck House Hotel off the High Street. The developers initially agreed to 10 percent affordable homes then resubmitted an application to exclude affordable housing.

In 2022, Dorset Council planning committee was left with little choice but to agree or face an expensive appeal, which it would probably lose.

Construction of the luxury homes with sea views started in 2024.

The football club needs £3 million to rebuild the sports centre at Day’s Park

Developer may pay towards new sports centre

The new documents also reveal that the developer is in talks with Sport England to give money towards the cost of a new sports centre at the Swanage Town and Herston football club in Day’s Park, to make up for the loss of playing fields and sports provision at the old school site.

The £3 million project to replace the old sports centre, now has planning permission but lacks the cash to complete the build, so the money will be welcome.

However in a letter from Sport England’s principal planning manager Bob Sharples, he writes:

“Sport England and Active Dorset have had discussions with the applicants’ consultants over a proposed mitigation package.

“At present there is still a significant distance between what the applicants are offering and what is considered reasonable for the total loss of the on-site sports facilities.”

So it appears that the developers aren’t currently offering enough financial compensation to satisfy Sport England.

Before it closed, Harrow House had extensive sports courts and pitches, however it retains its sea views!

Traffic concerns

Other amendments to the proposals include changing the type of roofs on some buildings to make them lower, and widening the pavements on the development to at least 1.5 metres to meet safety requirements.

In response to the concerns over an increase in traffic along Walrond Road and Northbrook Avenue, the developer is offering to pay to upgrade some of the pedestrian crossing points southerly along Northbrook Avenue, and at the junction with Victoria Avenue.

Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt

The proposed street scene of the new development

Housing crisis

The property developer first proposed its plans for the site in 2021. It is now 2025 and the company has still not secured outline planning permission for the site, let alone full planning permission.

Without offering meaningful affordable homes provision on such a large new development, there is no incentive for Dorset Council or pressure from the community to speed up the process.

Meanwhile, as the Dorset Council housing team states in its submission, the housing need in the Dorset Council area remains significant with more than 6,100 households currently on the housing register.

Further information

• Read the Harrow House planning application documents on the Dorset Council planning website, reference P/OUT/2024/03253
• What happened with the old St Mary’s School site