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£6M AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOOST FOR SOUTH EAST CORNWALL

Nearly £6 million will be invested in affordable housing in South East Cornwall over the next year.


Caradon District Council has received £5,950,459 in the first bid round of the government’s National Affordable Housing Programme for 2008-2009. It is the largest grant for affordable housing of any Cornish council and even outstrips those of neighbouring authorities in Devon, including Plymouth.

The money will pay for a total of 96 new affordable homes in Saltash, Torpoint, Crafthole, Dobwalls and Kelly Bray as well as the redevelopment of Liskeard’s former Passmore Edwards Hospital into an extra care village for the elderly. Work is expected to start on the affordable homes in the next 12 months.

There will be a second, smaller bid round in the next few months and at least two more are expected later in the year. Caradon will be bidding for further funds at each of these.

Councillor Tony Powell, Caradon’s housing and community services portfolio holder, said: “This is extremely good news for the people of South East Cornwall and shows how hard Caradon is fighting for those it represents. It is widely acknowledged that there is an affordable housing crisis across all of Cornwall, and I am very proud that Caradon is leading the way in attracting government funding.

“This success will only spur us on to keep the momentum going so that we pass a very strong affordable housing programme for South East Cornwall on to the new unitary council next year.”