COUNCIL HOUSING TO BE BUILT FOR FIRST TIME IN 20 YEARS

Terrye Teverson has welcomed plans by Cornwall Council to build new council houses for the first time in more than 20 years.

Discussed at County Hall in Truro tomorrow (Wednesday 14th October) councillors will be asked to vote in favour of the plans for new social housing in Tresillian and Falmouth.

"This could be fantastic news for nearly 3000 people on the local housing waiting list in Truro and Falmouth," Mrs Teverson said.

"The Conservative Government under Margaret Thatcher brought in the "Right to Buy" policy where tenants could buy their council homes at a vastly subsidised rate. There were 40,000 council owned homes in Cornwall before Right to Buy. Today it's just 10,700 - so schemes like these are desperately needed."

Council house building has always been an option, but the national housing subsidy system has made new build schemes extremely difficult in Cornwall. Recent changes to the system have meant these new build properties will be in the HRA but out of the housing subsidy system. This means the full rent can be utilised to fund the management and maintenance of the housing as well as repay the cost of the prudential borrowing.

"I have met dozens of families desperate for a home they can afford to rent. I just hope these new homes will be adequate for local families. We need three bedroom homes with decent gardens and enough room for families to grow in. There is no point building homes with tiny rooms and no garden. Old style council homes were built with growing families in mind and any new ones need to as well."