North Devon to see £3m spent on improving housing

A bid by North Devon Council for £25m to transform Ilfracombe failed earlier this year

Nearly £3m from the Devon and Torbay devolution deal is to be spent on providing good quality homes in Ilfracombe.

North Devon Council has begun a pilot project to see if intervening in the Ilfracombe housing market would help to improve the standards of existing low-quality homes.

The authority said it would look to purchase two properties and refurbish them in the first instance and then seek further renovations.

The council said it hoped the project would improve overall living conditions and the wider health of the residents.

'Decent homes'

It also aimed to proceed with 84 low-carbon affordable homes for social rent in Woolacombe, Parracombe, Georgeham, Lynton, West Down and Braunton, some of which were Community Land Trust schemes.

Two out of three business case bids to the government have now been successful for a total funding of £2.79m, which will come from the devolution deal capital fund of £16m.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said Councillor Paul Crabb thanked officers for the work they had put in on the bids.

"This should really deliver some decent homes and make a difference especially in the poorer areas," he said.

A bid by North Devon Council for £25m from the previous government to transform Ilfracombe failed earlier this year.

Council leader at the time Ian Roome, who is now Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon, said it was a "huge blow" for the area where 20% of households were living in poverty.