Developers slowly circling to build new housing at Frenchs Forest have cried poor over requirements to provide affordable options. What a surprise – not.

Luckily for them, the developers found a sympathetic ear. They convinced Northern Beaches Council to walk back from its previous commitment to include 10 per cent affordable housing for new developments in the burgeoning Frenchs Forest town centre. Instead, councillors have bowed to the demands of developers and some residents and have mandated a paltry 3 per cent.

Residents complained that the affordable housing mandate somehow cruelled development in Frenchs Forest, and that they were unable to sell properties at the price they wanted. Adding to the council’s backdown over mandating affordable housing was a........

© The Sydney Morning Herald