A council’s decision on whether to allow a developer to sidestep a £100,000 contribution to pay for affordable housing has been delayed.

Breckland Council had been due to decide at a meeting on Tuesday, July 5, whether to allow Acorn Building Services not to have to pay them £101,235.85

The developer built twelve one-bedroom flats on Church Street in Dereham, but none were classed as ‘affordable’.

It had entered into an agreement with the council to pay them the money so that affordable homes could be built elsewhere.

Acorn recently requested permission not to have to pay it, saying that to do so would render the entire project of building the 12 flats unprofitable - even though the flats have already been built.

Breckland’s planning officers had been recommending that councillors vote in favour of permitting the application, but at the meeting on Tuesday, said a decision would be delayed so that some “additional information” on the request could be gathered.