Last November Cornwall Council completed a landmark multi-million-pound deal to buy 130 homes at West Carclaze Garden Village as part of its work to tackle the housing crisis. The keys to the first two homes have now been handed over to the council, with a further ten homes expected to be completed within the next few weeks.
The remaining homes will be handed over to the Council during the next three to four years.
All 130 low carbon homes will be available for either social or affordable rent for local households in need or for shared ownership.
“The handover of the first two homes marks the end of more than two years of hard work by the Council’s housing delivery team and our partners at Eco-Bos”
said Olly Monk, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for housing and planning.
“We know that there is a huge shortage of affordable homes for people in Cornwall. In buying these homes, we are ensuring that they are available to local people who need them, and in numbers greater than was originally required through the planning process. We are also providing shared ownership homes, helping local people to take a first step on the housing ladder.”
“We are facing a serious housing crisis in Cornwall and are taking direct action to provide homes for people that need our help. We want to buy many more homes like these and are continuing to work with partners across the housing market to achieve this. “
Tackling current housing pressures is a top priority for the Council. As well as delivering schemes such as this, the authority is also working hard to:
- Provide modular homes to provide temporary and emergency accommodation so local people can be housed without worrying about being asked to leave at a moment’s notice
- Build significantly more Council houses for local people to rent or buy
- Buy existing homes to use as social housing
- Support the provision of affordable homes by housing associations for local people to rent or buy
- Ensure sites deliver affordable housing through the planning process
- Unlock the potential for town centres to be regenerated to provide more housing
- Support community-led organisations that want to deliver their own homes
- Offer loans to bring empty homes back into use
- Enable communities to stop new builds being snapped up by would be second homeowners.
All the new homes will feature air-source heat pumps and solar panels, saving up to 5.9 tonnes of carbon a year, with energy bills as low as £418 a year. As a result of these energy efficiency savings, the homes have been issued with an EPC rating of A.
Dorian Beresford, Chief Development Officer at Eco-Bos, said
“We are delighted to hand the keys to the first two houses to Councillor Monk and know that Cornwall Council are as excited as we are to make our sustainable homes available to the people that need them most.
“For us it’s about so much more than just providing a roof over heads, or getting people on the housing ladder. We are making a positive contribution to a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone, and reducing energy costs to make living and enjoying life more affordable, without compromising on lifestyle. It’s a sad fact that in the 21st Century people are having to choose between food and fuel — a very real issue for so many. This is a place where families are able to enjoy more of their money.
“We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Homes England and Cornwall Council who are leading the way in putting the environment and affordability at the heart of their response to the housing and cost of living crisis.”
“This project is a fantastic example of how we can meet local housing needs in a sustainable way,” said Olly Monk. “I would like to thank Eco-Bos, and Homes England for working with the Council and look forward to delivering similar schemes in the coming months.”
Published on June 10, 2022