independent Cornish news and comment

Build, build, build and build more!

The recently released ‘area action plan -– for Camborne, Pool, Illogan and Redruth, 2005-2026, developing options’, has set out three housing targets for the area. These are for 6,000, 9,400 and 11,100 dwellings. People have been asked to indicate which option they prefer. Kerrier District Council, has suggested that 9,400 dwellings is the most appropriate level.

A CoSERG spokesperson stated "There is a major difficulty with this approach, people will be presented with only one set of evidence relating to the three options, without access to evidence to support alternative options. Simply presenting three options assumes that there are only three, which is not the case".

An alternative approach would be to argue that housing policy should aim to meet local need and not simply encourage people to move to the area. If housing targets were set to meet local need, then a lower target than the 6000 would be more suitable. CoSERG argued in the previous consultation that the 6,000 figure was itself inappropriate.

None of the three options proposed are sustainable – in community, environmental or social terms. Nor will additional housing regenerate the area or be an answer to providing affordable housing. Current housing policy, as formulated by central government, relies on developers building unaffordable dwellings to pay for affordable dwellings, through cross-subsidization. An odd way of meeting housing need as it depends upon more people moving to an area to buy the (locally) unaffordable housing, which in itself is a factor pushing up local house prices so creating unaffordability in the first place!

A danger with the current consultation is that communities will, understandably, seek to ensure that their area is not over-developed, by arguing that the houses should be built/put, for example, in the neighbouring parish, forgetting the more fundamental issue of why should communities in the whole of the area have unsustainable housing targets foisted upon them.

One major flaw with the consultation, which Kerrier concede, is that ultimately the Government will decide what is best for the area, overriding local views and concerns. Despite a rhetoric of consultation and involvement, in reality Government policy still operates on the premise that ‘the man (or woman in this case), in Westminster knows best’. This should not dissuade communities from participating in the process and arguing for lower housing targets, though to be effective such participation and engagement requires more policy making powers at a Cornish level through a Cornish Assembly.

For more, visit CoSERG at: http://www.cornwallcoserg.org.uk/