independent Cornish news and comment

MINISTER MUST ACT ON SECOND HOMES

The MP for the West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Constituency of St. Ives, Andrew George, will today keep up the pressure on the Government to act to curb the growth in second home ownership and to give local people a better chance of affordable housing.


Mr George will tackle the Government’s housing ministers, Caroline Flint and Ian Wright, with figures from his own survey which show that many more homes in his constituency are sold to second home buyers than to first time buyers.

Speaking in advance of his question in the House of Commons Chamber (at approximately 3.15pm) Mr George said:

“Year on year more homes in West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are sold to second home purchasers than to first time buyers. The report of my survey of estate agents shows that again, over the last 12 months, 2.7 times as many homes were sold to second homes buyers as to first time buyers. This confirms the figures I have collated through these surveys in the last four years.

“This is not about the politics of envy. It is about basic social justice and fairness. Is it right to allow our housing stock to be sold to those who have more homes than they need when there are thousands of families struggling to find a decent home of their own?

“The Government’s Affordable Rural Housing Commission said the Government should act and the Government’s Rural Advocate recently repeated the call for the Government to control second homes. There’s no need to set up another task force or purposeful sounding inquiry. Now is the time to act.”

Mr George will publish the report of his survey on Friday (23rd) during the visit of the Liberal Democrat Party Leader Nick Clegg MP to Cornwall. Mr George met the previous Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper MP, twice to develop his proposal of introducing planning controls on second homes. He also met the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, two months ago to urge him to bring forward proposals