Step forward for St Eval homes
Former Ministry of Defence homes at St Eval could finally be brought back into use under Liberal Democrat plans for the Cornwall Council to take them over.
The 331 houses were sold by the last Conservative Government to Annington Homes, which has left many of them empty after they ceased to be used by the military. Annington now wants rid of the properties but they are made of solid concrete and cannot be sold on the open market, since no mortgage lender will take them on.
North Cornwall’s MP, Dan Rogerson, met with officials from Annington on Friday at Trevisker School with Councillor Jeremy Rowe, and the School’s Chair of Governors, Vicky Proctor, to discuss the future of the village. Cllr Rowe and Mr Rogerson are to press Cornwall Council to lease the properties from Annington, and make them available to some of the thousands of local people in housing need. Council officers have suggested that the houses could be leased by the local authority, while a ‘masterplan’ for the whole area is drawn up over several years. The plans will include provision for better transport links to the community from Wadebridge and Newquay, and ensure that new residents are properly catered for with schools and healthcare facilities.
Commenting, Dan Rogerson said:
“For the Council to consider taking on these homes and let them to people in housing need is a big step forward.
“It’s a disgraceful part of the Conservative legacy to Cornwall that these homes were sold off to a private company whose interest is naturally not in housing people but in making money. However, Annington co-operative, and they are working with us constructively to find a solution.
“Now Cllr Rowe has arranged with officers for a Council lease to be looked at seriously, we could finally start getting people who really need somewhere to live into these homes – at least on a temporary basis.”
Councillor Jeremy Rowe added:
“I’m determined that we should get this sorted out for local people.
“Dan has been pressing Annington, the old District Council and Ministers on this ever since he was first elected in 2005. The new Council presents us with an opportunity to make the difference.
“Annington Homes don’t even want these houses, and there are people out there desperate to live in them. Dan and I see this gross injustice every day when we talk to constituents, as families in completely inadequate and unsuitable accommodation and lay their cases out before us.
“We always do what we can to help but we need homes like those at St Eval to be available so they can be allocated to those who need them.”
