Prince William is planning a new “garden city” in the UK with 2,500 homes, it has been claimed.
The Prince of Wales intends to tackle the social housing crisis by creating hundreds of affordable houses through the Duchy of Cornwall.
Of these, 30 per cent will be allocated to low-income households—three times the amount that is required for new projects.
The 320-acre project near Faversham, Kent, will have plenty of shops, a primary school, and employment opportunities.
The Prince of Wales launched his Homewards initiative last year
Getty
It is believed that officials are nearly finished approving the application that was submitted to Swale Borough Council. A decision is expected to be made by January 31.
Some have criticised the plan, including Tory MP Helen Whately, who said the area “could be permanently gridlocked” if thousands of extra homes were built.
Royal sources described the project as a “game changer”. They told The Daily Mirror: “It could open up a range of possibilities to transform Britain’s house-building crisis.”
Prince William, 41, took over the 130,000-acre Duchy of Cornwall from King Charles after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
Prince William was inspired by Finland which has a limited homelessness problem
PA
Its assets come to a total of over £1billion from Cornwall to Kent.
The Prince of Wales wants the Duchy, which has housing developments in Newquay and Dorchester, to commit to constructing communal homes on the private estate.
Initial plans were presented in 2018 following a request from the council to landowners to assist in meeting housing targets.
Renewable energy will also be used to power the residences, which range from having one to six bedrooms.
Prince William took over the Duchy of Cornwall after Queen Elizabeth II’s death.
PA
Prince William’s new plan was criticised by Tory MP Helen Whately
PA
The Duchy promised that the final decision regarding the scheme would be made soon.
Prince William launched his Homewards campaign in June 2023, which aims to make rough sleeping and temporary accommodation a “rare, brief and unrepeated” issue.
The royal was inspired by Finland, where the problem of homelessness has been nearly eliminated.
