Former MP calls for 'Charter for Housing Justice' as Cornwall's crisis bites
Councillor Andrew George wants to see tougher planning regulations and an end to tax loopholes on second homes
Last updated 23rd Aug 2021
The former MP for St Ives has issued what he calls a rallying call for a 'Charter for Housing Justice' in Cornwall.
Councillor Andrew George wants to see measures like tougher planning regulations on new-build properties.
He is also pushing for a reversal of the tax loopholes on second homes and better control of the rental market.
Recent figures suggest the average home in Cornwall cost NINE TIMES the average salary in 2020.
It is understood the Duchy had over 10,000 active Air B&B listings in June 2021, compared to fewer than 70 rental properties available on Rightmove.
On Friday (August 20th), Cornwall Council issued an action plan to tackle what it calls the 'perfect storm' housing crisis in Cornwall.
A housing demonstration was held in Truro on Saturday (21st August), calling for no more second homes until every Cornish person has a first home.
A 'rallying call' for a Charter for Housing Justice
Cornwall Councillor Andrew George, the former MP for St Ives, posted the call for a Charter for Housing Facebook, saying: "The current and severe housing crisis ought to force policy makers to finally change direction".
This is what he believes the Charter for Housing Justice should include:
o Stop the Conservatives treating Cornwall like a developers’ paradise – their planning ‘reforms’ would heap yet another 80,000 mostly unaffordable homes on Cornwall;
o Reverse tax loop-holes and incentives which drive the still growing market for second and holiday homes;
o Better regulate the private rented sector so that good landlords are rewarded and tenants are assured security and affordable rents;
o Reverse the way the planning system works, so that it is fuelled by need and not by greed;
o Stop giving public money to second homers – including over £100 million of Cornwall’s Covid aid in the last year! – and instead invest in social housing to meet local need;
o Stop selling-off our Council housing stock;
o Strengthen the powers of local authorities to combat the wide-spread flouting of planning law;
o Scrap the ‘bedroom tax’ which penalises the poor (in contrast to the way the Conservatives reward wealthy second homers);
o Introduce new (planning) law to empower communities to limit the numbers and levy an appropriate level of tax on second homes.
The Conservative-led Cornwall Council published an action plan on Friday (August 20th), promising that tackling the crisis is a top priority.
Council Leader Linda Taylor said: “It is the top priority for this new administration. Things won’t get better overnight, but we are acting swiftly and doing everything in our power to deal with both the immediate issues and implement the more ambitious long-term plan Cornwall needs to provide decent affordable housing for our residents".
Cllr Olly Monk, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for housing and planning says: “The lack of decent affordable housing that residents are experiencing all over Cornwall has been brought to a head in the aftermath of the pandemic. There is an imbalance in supply and demand that we have never seen before.”
“We understand the frustrations of residents who are caught up in this and we’re doing all in our power to tackle it.”
“The Covid pandemic has brought about extraordinary circumstances and pressures. More people continue to need emergency accommodation which has been in increasingly short supply as hotels and B&Bs have been booked up for the summer holiday season.
“In addition, the boom in house prices and the demand for holiday accommodation is causing a significant and sudden reduction in the availability of homes to rent and a matched sudden escalation in rental costs. Private landlords have been moving away from long-term letting and instead moving towards the short-term holiday market, as Covid travel restrictions has increased the demand from visitors looking for a stay cation in places like Cornwall.”
“These factors, together with the shift to working from home which means that people can work from anywhere in the country, is seeing more people move to areas like Cornwall and so has put unprecedented pressure on the amount of open market housing available to buy".