Council sets out plans for housing for locals

Only people with primary residences in Duchy will be allowed to live in planned 4,000 affordable and market rented homes on council land, reports Lee Trewhela

- Lee Trewhela

CORNWALL Council has announced an innovative new scheme to help alleviate the housing crisis by delivering thousands of affordable and market rented homes on its own land.

The Homes Cornwall project - which is supported by the Government's Homes England housing, land and regeneration agency - will use local construction companies to build 4,000 new homes on 400 acres of council-owned land.

Including the already announced and approved Langarth Garden Village, near Truro, it amounts to almost 8,000 homes on 800 acres. The council has already earmarked 63 potential urban extensions or infill site options.

The properties will only be available for 'local people', meaning people living in Cornwall, and will solely be for principal residence - the council will ensure they cannot be sold as second homes or holiday lets.

Cllr Peter La Broy, Independent cabinet member for housing, initiated the project with fellow Independent cabinet member Cllr Tim Dwelly, who oversees economic regeneration and investment.

Cllr La Broy said: "Homes Cornwall is our way of putting our land on the table, to work with interested partners, but the caveat is we want those people to deliver housing for local people. It's about solving that real problem of under-supply of housing in Cornwall."

There are currently 25,000 households or individuals on the HomeChoice register waiting for a home, while 850 households are at risk of homelessness and are supported in temporary accommodation, which costs the council £12 million per year.