independent Cornish news and comment

GEORGE TO MEET MINISTER FOR SOLUTIONS TO SECOND HOMES PROBLEMS

A delegation led by the MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, Andrew George, has a follow-up meeting with Housing Minister Yvette Cooper MP in its quest to encourage the Government to introduce new measures to control high levels of second home ownership. They will meet on Thursday 15th November at 3pm.


The meeting follows on from one in February 2007 when Dan Rogerson MP for North Cornwall, Councillor Stan Collins – Housing Leader of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria – and Mr George sought to encourage the Minister to adopt proposals including planning controls and the introduction of a second home impact charge to fund new, affordable housing.

Mr George emphasised evidence from his own surveys and other information which has shown that last year five times as many West Cornwall properties were sold to second home buyers as to first time buyers. In some areas more than half of all sales were for second home ownership whilst no properties were affordable to local people.

Mr George and Cllr Collins have emphasised that the measures they wish to see approved by the Government would probably only need to be adopted in a few regions like their own where the impact of second home ownership has been particularly detrimental to affordable housing for locals and the viability of communities and their infrastructure (schools, post offices, villages halls etc).

In February the Minister promised to study the proposals further and although she has since discounted the proposed ‘impact charge’, she has not further determined if there is any prospect of implementing land use planning or other constraints. Mr George will be accompanied by the new Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Paul Holmes MP, as well as Cllr Collins.

Mr George said: “Housing has risen up the Government’s agenda. But its promise to build more houses will not solve the major problems people face in areas such as Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly, nor the Lake District where the issue is not the shortage of homes but the impact of second home purchases upon the sustainability of an affordable local market.

“Yvette Cooper has said she is listening. Our discussions must lead to real solutions. If the market for second homes continues to flourish, the most attractive locations in places like Cornwall, Scilly and the Lakes will exclude local people on local incomes.”